The role of spin-orbit interaction in strongly disordered 2D systems*

Anderson localization, a disorder-induced metal-insulator transition, has long been a focus of study, with single-parameter scaling theory predicting localization of all electronic states in low-dimensional systems, even with minimal disorder. Recent developments suggest the possibility of an Anderson metal-insulator transition in 2D disordered systems with spin-orbit coupling (SOC). In this work, we present initial data exploring the interplay of spatial correlations, Rashba-type SOC, and random defects in 2D systems using the Typical Medium Dynamical Cluster Approximation (TMDCA). By incorporating Rashba SOC into the self-consistency scheme, we investigate its impact on the metal-insulator transition, providing insights into the behavior of strongly disordered 2D systems.