English

$Z_4$ scotogenic model with a Higgs portal

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2025-11-27 v3 High Energy Physics - Experiment

Abstract

We propose a new Scotogenic type model based on a global Z4Z_4 symmetry involving dark matter candidates. After the symmetry breaking as Z4Z_4 to Z2Z_2 via the singlet scalar vacuum expectation value (VEV), the lightest Majorana fermion works as a viable thermal freeze-out dark matter (DM) candidate, and the mass terms for active neutrinos are generated as a finite quantum correction at the 1-loop level. A key point of realising our Scotogenic structure is to introduce two types of Majorana fermions (heavy right-handed neutrinos) and inert Higgs doublets with opposite Z4Z_4 parities. Since a large VEV for the singlet scalar is not so harmful in an appropriate realisation of the Higgs mechanism for the SM gauge symmetry, we can naturally realise a TeV-scale fermionic DM candidate, where constraints via direct detection experiments are less than those for sub-TeV DM. Our scenario involves the Higgs-portal DM interactions, which help the realisation of the correct DM relic abundance. Relying on the structure of the model, it is possible to find a natural partner for coannihilation. Our scenario can be investigated via the measurement of the Higgs trilinear self-coupling at the Large Hadron Collider. The simplest way to evade the domain-wall problem by adding a tiny soft Z2Z_2 breaking term works, keeping a sufficient longevity of the decaying DM lifetime.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2508.18713,
  title  = {$Z_4$ scotogenic model with a Higgs portal},
  author = {Noel Jonathan Jobu and Kenji Nishiwaki},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.18713},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

49 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables; Published version for PRD, title edited a bit, references and explanations added, typos fixed