Finite mass corrections in orbifold gauge theories

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in orbifold gauge theories, the Higgs mass is protected from brane quadratic divergences at all orders in perturbation theory, supporting the viability of gauge-Higgs unification models without supersymmetry.

Contribution

The authors explicitly calculate one-loop corrections in orbifold models and identify a symmetry that prevents brane mass terms to all orders, ensuring Higgs mass protection.

Findings

Brane quadratic divergences are absent at one-loop.

A symmetry protects the Higgs mass from brane divergences to all orders.

The higher-dimensional gauge symmetry ensures stability of the Higgs mass.

Abstract

The Standard Model Higgs boson can be identified with the extra dimensional component of a gauge boson in a higher dimensional theory where the gauge group is broken to the Standard Model group by the orbifold action. In that case the Standard Model symmetry can be radiatively broken by the Hosotani mechanism and the Higgs boson mass is protected from bulk quadratic divergences by the higher dimensional gauge theory without any need of supersymmetry. However the latter does not protect a priori the Higgs mass from brane quadratic divergences. We show by an explicit calculation in the orbifold $S^1/Z_2$ that such effects are absent at one-loop. Moreover we identify the symmetry that protects such brane mass terms to all orders in perturbation theory and thus guarantees the absence of a corresponding mass counterterm