Optical absorption, disorder and the Anderson transition

The optical gap, E_g, of amorphous indium-oxide films is measured as a function of static disorder near the metal-insulator transition. On the insulating side of the transition the optical gap obeys a scaling relation, ΔE_g = -E_*Δg where E_* is of the order of the Fermi energy of the given sample and g≡K_Fl. These results are ascribed to the continuous shift of the mobility-edge in the conduction band with disorder.