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Probing Scalar-Neutrino and Scalar-Dark-Matter Interactions with PandaX-4T

Tao Li2, Zihao Bo3, Wei Chen3, Xun Chen1,4,5, Yunhua Chen6,5, Chen Cheng7, Xiangyi Cui1, Manna Deng8, Yingjie Fan9 et al. (PandaX Collaboration)

Yingjie Fan9, Deqing Fang10, Xuanye Fu3, Zhixing Gao3, Yujie Ge8, Lisheng Geng7,11,12,13, Karl Giboni3,5, Xunan Guo7, Xuyuan Guo6,5, Zichao Guo7, Chencheng Han1, Ke Han3,4,5, Changda He3, Jinrong He6, Houqi Huang2, Junting Huang3,5, Yule Huang3, Ruquan Hou4,5, Xiangdong Ji14, Yonglin Ju15,5, Xiaorun Lan16, Chenxiang Li3, Jiafu Li17, Mingchuan Li6,5, Peiyuan Li3, Shuaijie Li6,3,5, Yangdong Li3, Zhiyuan Li8, Qing Lin18,16, Jianglai Liu1,3,4,5,*, Yuanchun Liu3, Congcong Lu15, Xiaoying Lu19,20, Lingyin Luo21, Yunyang Luo16, Yugang Ma10, Yajun Mao21, Yue Meng3,4,5, Binyu Pang19,20, Ningchun Qi6,5, Zhicheng Qian3, Xiangxiang Ren19,20, Dong Shan22, Xiaofeng Shang3, Xiyuan Shao22, Guofang Shen7, Manbin Shen6,5, Wenliang Sun6,5, Xuyan Sun3, Yi Tao23, Yueqiang Tian7, Yuxin Tian3, Anqing Wang19,20, Guanbo Wang3, Hao Wang3, Haoyu Wang3, Jiamin Wang1, Lei Wang24, Meng Wang19,20, Qiuhong Wang10, Shaobo Wang3,2,5, Shibo Wang15, Siguang Wang21, Wei Wang8,17, Xu Wang1, Zhou Wang1,4,5, Yuehuan Wei8, Weihao Wu3,5, Yuan Wu3, Mengjiao Xiao3, Xiang Xiao17, Yuhan Xie1, Kaizhi Xiong6,5, Jianqin Xu3, Yifan Xu15, Shunyu Yao2, Binbin Yan1, Xiyu Yan25, Yong Yang3,5, Peihua Ye3, Chunxu Yu22, Ying Yuan3, Zhe Yuan10, Youhui Yun3, Xinning Zeng3, Minzhen Zhang1, Peng Zhang6,5, Shibo Zhang1, Siyuan Zhang17, Shu Zhang17, Tao Zhang1,4,5, Wei Zhang1, Yang Zhang19,20, Yingxin Zhang19,20, Yuanyuan Zhang1, Li Zhao1,4,5, Kangkang Zhao1, Jifang Zhou6,5, Jiaxu Zhou2, Jiayi Zhou1, Ning Zhou1,4,5, Xiaopeng Zhou7, Zhizhen Zhou3, Chenhui Zhu16, Yihong Zhong1,3,†, Van Que Tran1,26,27,‡, and Michael J. Ramsey-Musolf1,3,28,29,§ (PandaX Collaboration)

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Dark Matter Physics, Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (MoE), Shanghai Key Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 201210, China
  • 2SJTU Paris Elite Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • 3State Key Laboratory of Dark Matter Physics, Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (MoE), Shanghai Key Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology, School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • 4Shanghai Jiao Tong University Sichuan Research Institute, Chengdu 610213, China
  • 5Jinping Deep Underground Frontier Science and Dark Matter Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Liangshan 615000, China
  • 6Yalong River Hydropower Development Company, Ltd., 288 Shuanglin Road, Chengdu 610051, China
  • 7School of Physics, Beihang University, Beijing 102206, China
  • 8Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
  • 9Department of Physics, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
  • 10Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Ion-beam Application (MOE), Institute of Modern Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
  • 11Peng Huanwu Collaborative Center for Research and Education, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
  • 12International Research Center for Nuclei and Particles in the Cosmos & Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Nuclear Materials and Physics, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
  • 13Southern Center for Nuclear-Science Theory (SCNT), Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huizhou 516000, China
  • 14Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
  • 15School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • 16Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
  • 17School of Physics, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
  • 18State Key Laboratory of Particle Detection and Electronics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
  • 19Research Center for Particle Science and Technology, Institute of Frontier and Interdisciplinary Science, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
  • 20Key Laboratory of Particle Physics and Particle Irradiation of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
  • 21School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • 22School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
  • 23School of Science, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
  • 24College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
  • 25School of Physics and Astronomy, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
  • 26Physics Division, National Center for Theoretical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
  • 27Phenikaa Institute for Advanced Study, Phenikaa University, Nguyen Trac, Duong Noi, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
  • 28On Leave from Amherst Center for Fundamental Interactions, Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA
  • 29Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA

  • *PandaX-4T Spokesperson: jianglai.liu@sjtu.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: yihong-z@sjtu.edu.cn
  • ‡Contact author: vqtran@phys.ncts.ntu.edu.tw
  • §Contact author: mjrm@sjtu.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 241802 – Published 17 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pn9y-g5k7

Abstract

Scalar-mediated interactions may exist among neutrinos, dark matter particles, or between the two. Double β-decay experiments provide a powerful tool to probe such exotic interactions. Using Xe136 double β-decay data from PandaX-4T, we perform the first direct spectral search in the energy range of 20 to 2800 keV, setting the most stringent limits to date on scalar-mediated neutrino self-interactions for mediator masses below 2  MeV/c2. These results place significant constraints on models invoking such interactions to alleviate the Hubble tension. Assuming the same scalar also mediates dark matter self-interactions, constraints on the dark matter-scalar interactions can be placed in conjunction with cosmological constraints.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 241802– Published 17 June, 2026
  • Received 3 December 2025
  • Revised 28 February 2026
  • Accepted 19 May 2026
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