Gauge symmetry breaking in superconformal orbifolds

This paper studies the construction of (2.0) theories from orbifolds of N = 2 minimal superconformal string compactifications with non-trivial Wilson loops. In particular, we exploit the connection between geometrical and exactly soluble string vacua to arrive at a mean of analyzing Calabi-Yau orbifolds containing Wilson loops associated with non-free group actions, breaking the E6 gauge symmetry of the model as well the shadow E8 gauge symmetry group. The authors apply their results to recently proposed three generation constructions of this sort and find spectra which differ from previous claims and which possess exceptionally desirable phenomenological properties