Disorder-Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in Topological Insulators with ν ≈ 2.7 — E8 Intelligence Research
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: FINDING: Topological insulators exhibit a disorder-driven metal-insulator transition with critical exponent ν ≈ 2.7, distinct from the standard Anderson transition value (ν ≈ 1.6). MATH: Critical exponent ν = 2.7 ± 0.2 (from scaling analysis of localization length); Z₂ topological invariant classification for time-reversal symmetric systems; edge-state conductance quantization (e²/h). CONNECTION: No direct geometric ratios (0.382, 0.618, etc.) or base-60 links. However, the Z₂ invariant is rooted in the symplectic group Sp(2n) and the Bott periodicity of K-theory (period 8 in real Clifford algebras), which connects to crystallographic root systems (e.g., D₄ symmetry in the 8-fold way). The critical exponent ν ≈ 2.7 is close to 8/3 ≈ 2.667, a rational ratio hinting at possible underlying conformal field theory (CFT) central charge c = 1/2 or 1, but this is speculative. DEPTH: 6 — The finding provides a precise numerical exponent for a universality class, linking disorder, topology Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com
Author: Caldin, Andrew Stewart
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203710313
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