Localization and quasilocalization of a spin-1/2fermion field on a two-field thick braneworld

Abstract

Localization of a spin-$1/2$ fermion on the braneworld is an important and interesting problem. It is well known that a five-dimensional free massless fermion $\Psi$ minimally coupled to gravity cannot be localized on the Randall-Sundrum braneworld. In order to trap such a fermion, the coupling between the fermion and bulk scalar fields should be introduced. In this paper, localization and quasilocalization of a bulk fermion on the thick braneworld generated by two scalar fields (a kink scalar $\phi$ and a dilaton scalar $\pi$) are investigated. Two types of couplings between the fermion and two scalars are considered. One coupling is the usual Yukawa coupling $-\eta\bar{\Psi}\phi\Psi$ between the fermion and kink scalar, another one is $\lambda\bar{\Psi}\Gamma^{M}\partial_{M}\pi\gamma^{5}\Psi$ between the fermion and dilaton scalar. The left-chiral fermion zero mode can be localized on the brane, and both the left- and right-chiral fermion massive Kaluza-Klein modes may be localized or quasilocalized. Hence the four-dimensional massless left-chiral fermion and massive Dirac fermions, whose lifetime is infinite or finite, can be obtained on the brane.