Electroweak symmetry breaking as a proximity effect

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel mechanism for electroweak symmetry breaking inspired by the proximity effect in condensed matter physics, involving a layered bulk region that imparts mass to W, Z bosons, and quarks.

Contribution

It introduces a new braneworld scenario where a layered bulk region induces electroweak symmetry breaking at potentially lower energy scales.

Findings

Electroweak symmetry can be broken via a proximity effect in a layered bulk region.

The symmetry-breaking sector can be lighter than the traditional 1 TeV scale.

W, Z bosons, and quarks acquire mass through scattering off the layered region.

Abstract

The proximity effect in condensed matter physics is a mechanism that naturally produces weak superconductivity. We argue that a braneworld can similarly produce a low-energy breaking of the electroweak symmetry, provided that in addition to the "normal" region, occupied by the conventional phase of QCD, there is a bulk region where the color is in an anisotropic (layered) state with a larger confinement scale. The W and Z bosons, as well as the quarks, acquire masses by scattering off the layered region. A peculiar feature of this scenario is that the strongly interacting sector responsible for the symmetry breaking can be much lighter than the conventional 1 TeV.