Search for the lepton-flavor-violating τ⁻ → e^∓ℓ^±ℓ⁻ decays at Belle II

We present the result of a search for the charged-lepton-flavor violating decays τ⁻ → e^∓ℓ^±ℓ⁻, where ℓ is a muon or an electron, using a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 428 fb⁻¹ recorded by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB e⁺e⁻ collider. The selection of e⁺e⁻ → τ⁺τ⁻ events containing a signal candidate is based on an inclusive-tagging reconstruction and on a boosted decision tree to suppress background. Upper limits on the branching fractions between 1.3 and 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ are set at the 90% confidence level. These results are the most stringent bounds to date for four of the modes.