Gauge-Higgs unification in orbifold models

Six-dimensional orbifold models where the Higgs field is identified with some internal component of a gauge field are considered. We classify all possible T2/ZN orbifold constructions based on a SU(3) electroweak gauge symmetry. Depending on the orbifold twist, models with two, one or zero Higgs doublets can be obtained. Models with one Higgs doublet are particularly interesting, as they lead to a prediction for the Higgs mass that is twice the W boson mass at leading order: mH = 2 mW. The electroweak scale is quadratically sensitive to the cut-off, but only through very specific localized operators. We study in detail the structure of these operators at one loop, and identify a class of models where they do not destabilize the electroweak scale at the leading order. This provides a very promising framework to construct realistic and predictive models of electroweak symmetry breaking. (author)