Search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in pp collisions at s=13 TeV and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

L.ZwalinskiThe ATLAS Collaboration

doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140313

Search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in pp collisions at s=13 TeV and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

L.ZwalinskiThe ATLAS Collaboration

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Abstract

A search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in the ℓℓ γ (ℓ=e,μ) final state is performed using pp collisions at s=13.6 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during 2022–2024, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 165 fb⁻¹. The signal yield, normalised to the Standard Model prediction, is measured to be μ=0.9_−0.6^+0.7, compatible with the expected value of μ=1.0±0.7. This corresponds to an observed (expected) signal significance of 1.4 (1.5) standard deviations under the background-only hypothesis. This result is combined with that of a similar search performed with 140 fb⁻¹ of s=13 TeV pp collisions to provide the best expected sensitivity to date to this rare decay, namely an observed (expected) signal strength of μ=1.3_−0.5^+0.6 (μ=1.0_−0.5^+0.6), corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.5 (1.9) standard deviations. The measurement is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.

Original language	English
Article number	140313
Journal	Physics Letters B
Volume	876
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140313
State	Published - May 2026
Externally published	Yes

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10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140313

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@article{c365360a31a641f3aa7f99355d2d83d5,

title = "Search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in pp collisions at s=13 TeV and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector",

abstract = "A search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in the ℓℓ γ (ℓ=e,μ) final state is performed using pp collisions at s=13.6 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during 2022–2024, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 165 fb−1. The signal yield, normalised to the Standard Model prediction, is measured to be μ=0.9−0.6+0.7, compatible with the expected value of μ=1.0±0.7. This corresponds to an observed (expected) signal significance of 1.4 (1.5) standard deviations under the background-only hypothesis. This result is combined with that of a similar search performed with 140 fb−1 of s=13 TeV pp collisions to provide the best expected sensitivity to date to this rare decay, namely an observed (expected) signal strength of μ=1.3−0.5+0.6 (μ=1.0−0.5+0.6), corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.5 (1.9) standard deviations. The measurement is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.",

author = "\{L.ZwalinskiThe ATLAS Collaboration\} and G. Aad and E. Aakvaag and B. Abbott and S. Abdelhameed and K. Abeling and Abicht, \{N. J.\} and Abidi, \{S. H.\} and M. Aboelela and A. Aboulhorma and H. Abramowicz and Y. Abulaiti and Acharya, \{B. S.\} and A. Ackermann and \{Adam Bourdarios\}, C. and L. Adamczyk and Addepalli, \{S. V.\} and Addison, \{M. J.\} and J. Adelman and A. Adiguzel and T. Adye and Affolder, \{A. A.\} and Y. Afik and Agaras, \{M. N.\} and A. Aggarwal and C. Agheorghiesei and F. Ahmadov and S. Ahuja and X. Ai and G. Aielli and A. Aikot and \{Ait Tamlihat\}, M. and B. Aitbenchikh and M. Akbiyik and {\AA}kesson, \{T. P.A.\} and Akimov, \{A. V.\} and D. Akiyama and Akolkar, \{N. N.\} and S. Aktas and Alberghi, \{G. L.\} and J. Albert and U. Alberti and P. Albicocco and Albouy, \{G. L.\} and S. Alderweireldt and Alegria, \{Z. L.\} and M. Aleksa and Aleksandrov, \{I. N.\} and C. Alexa and L. Heinrich and E. Kourlitis",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2026. Published by Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2026",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140313",

language = "English",

volume = "876",

journal = "Physics Letters B",

issn = "0370-2693",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in pp collisions at s=13 TeV and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

AU - L.ZwalinskiThe ATLAS Collaboration

AU - Aad, G.

AU - Aakvaag, E.

AU - Abbott, B.

AU - Abdelhameed, S.

AU - Abeling, K.

AU - Abicht, N. J.

AU - Abidi, S. H.

AU - Aboelela, M.

AU - Aboulhorma, A.

AU - Abramowicz, H.

AU - Abulaiti, Y.

AU - Acharya, B. S.

AU - Ackermann, A.

AU - Adam Bourdarios, C.

AU - Adamczyk, L.

AU - Addepalli, S. V.

AU - Addison, M. J.

AU - Adelman, J.

AU - Adiguzel, A.

AU - Adye, T.

AU - Affolder, A. A.

AU - Afik, Y.

AU - Agaras, M. N.

AU - Aggarwal, A.

AU - Agheorghiesei, C.

AU - Ahmadov, F.

AU - Ahuja, S.

AU - Ai, X.

AU - Aielli, G.

AU - Aikot, A.

AU - Ait Tamlihat, M.

AU - Aitbenchikh, B.

AU - Akbiyik, M.

AU - Åkesson, T. P.A.

AU - Akimov, A. V.

AU - Akiyama, D.

AU - Akolkar, N. N.

AU - Aktas, S.

AU - Alberghi, G. L.

AU - Albert, J.

AU - Alberti, U.

AU - Albicocco, P.

AU - Albouy, G. L.

AU - Alderweireldt, S.

AU - Alegria, Z. L.

AU - Aleksa, M.

AU - Aleksandrov, I. N.

AU - Alexa, C.

AU - Heinrich, L.

AU - Kourlitis, E.

PY - 2026/5

Y1 - 2026/5

N2 - A search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in the ℓℓ γ (ℓ=e,μ) final state is performed using pp collisions at s=13.6 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during 2022–2024, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 165 fb−1. The signal yield, normalised to the Standard Model prediction, is measured to be μ=0.9−0.6+0.7, compatible with the expected value of μ=1.0±0.7. This corresponds to an observed (expected) signal significance of 1.4 (1.5) standard deviations under the background-only hypothesis. This result is combined with that of a similar search performed with 140 fb−1 of s=13 TeV pp collisions to provide the best expected sensitivity to date to this rare decay, namely an observed (expected) signal strength of μ=1.3−0.5+0.6 (μ=1.0−0.5+0.6), corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.5 (1.9) standard deviations. The measurement is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.

AB - A search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in the ℓℓ γ (ℓ=e,μ) final state is performed using pp collisions at s=13.6 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during 2022–2024, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 165 fb−1. The signal yield, normalised to the Standard Model prediction, is measured to be μ=0.9−0.6+0.7, compatible with the expected value of μ=1.0±0.7. This corresponds to an observed (expected) signal significance of 1.4 (1.5) standard deviations under the background-only hypothesis. This result is combined with that of a similar search performed with 140 fb−1 of s=13 TeV pp collisions to provide the best expected sensitivity to date to this rare decay, namely an observed (expected) signal strength of μ=1.3−0.5+0.6 (μ=1.0−0.5+0.6), corresponding to an observed (expected) significance of 2.5 (1.9) standard deviations. The measurement is consistent with the Standard Model expectation.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038459310

U2 - 10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140313

DO - 10.1016/j.physletb.2026.140313

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105038459310

SN - 0370-2693

VL - 876

JO - Physics Letters B

JF - Physics Letters B

M1 - 140313

ER -

Search for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon in pp collisions at s=13 TeV and 13.6 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract

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