Spacetime as a topological insulator: Mechanism for the origin of the fermion generations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel mechanism linking the three generations of fermions to surface modes in a five-dimensional topological insulator-like framework, with implications for understanding fundamental particle structure.

Contribution

It introduces a topological insulator-inspired model explaining fermion generations via surface modes in higher dimensions, extending to a four-dimensional deconstructed version.

Findings

Fermion generations correspond to surface modes in a 5D theory.

Topological properties are preserved in a 4D deconstructed model.

Mechanism parallels surface states in topological insulators.

Abstract

We suggest a mechanism whereby the three generations of quarks and leptons correspond to surface modes in a five-dimensional theory. These modes arise from a nonlinear fermion dispersion relation in the extra dimension, much in the same manner as fermion surface modes in a topological insulator or lattice implementation of domain wall fermions. We also show that the topological properties can persist in a deconstructed version of the model in four dimensions.