The Anderson transition: time reversal symmetry and universality

TL;DR

This paper investigates the Anderson transition through finite size scaling, revealing distinct universality classes based on time reversal symmetry, and analyzes their critical conductance distributions.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of orthogonal and unitary universality classes with different scaling functions and critical exponents in the Anderson transition.

Findings

Different scaling functions and critical exponents for orthogonal and unitary classes

Distinct critical conductance distributions for the two classes

Evidence supporting universality class distinctions in Anderson transition

Abstract

We report a finite size scaling study of the Anderson transition. Different scaling functions and different values for the critical exponent have been found, consistent with the existence of the orthogonal and unitary universality classes which occur in the field theory description of the transition. The critical conductance distribution at the Anderson transition has also been investigated and different distributions for the orthogonal and unitary classes obtained.