Multi-photon signatures as a probe of CP-violation in extended Higgs sectors

TL;DR

This paper proposes using four-photon final states at the LHC to detect CP-violation in extended Higgs sectors, highlighting the potential for sizable signals in specific models under current experimental constraints.

Contribution

It introduces a novel four-photon signature as a probe of CP-violation in extended Higgs sectors, especially within the two Higgs doublet model, considering current experimental bounds.

Findings

Cross section for four-photon process can reach 0.1 fb at LHC.

Branching ratios of Higgs to gamma gamma can be sizable with CPV phases.

Searches for EDMs and di-photon resonances are complementary.

Abstract

We propose a novel signature with four-photon final states to probe CP-violating (CPV) extended Higgs sectors via $f \bar{f} \to Z^* \to H_1H_2 \to 4 \gamma$ processes with $H_{1,2}$ being additional neutral Higgs bosons. We focus on the nearly Higgs alignment scenario, in which the discovered Higgs boson almost corresponds to a neutral scalar state belonging to the isospin doublet field with the vacuum expectation value $v \simeq 246$ GeV. We show that the branching ratios of $H_{1,2} \to \gamma \gamma$ can simultaneously be sizable when CPV phases in the Higgs potential are of order one due to the enhancement of charged-Higgs boson loops. Such branching ratios can be especially significant when the fermiophobic scenario is taken into account. As a simple example, we consider the general two Higgs doublet model, and demonstrate that the cross section for the four-photon process can be 0.1 fb at LHC with the masses of $H_{1,2}$ to be a few 100 GeV in the Higgs alignment limit under the constraints from electric dipole moments (EDMs) and LHC Run-II data. We also illustrate that the searches for EDMs and di-photon resonances at high-luminosity LHC play complementary roles to explore CPV extended Higgs sectors.