Search for a $τ^+τ^-$ resonance in $e^{+}e^{-}\rightarrow μ^{+}μ^{-} τ^+τ^-$ events with the Belle II experiment

We report the first search for a non-standard-model resonance decaying into $τ$ pairs in $e^{+}e^{-}\rightarrow μ^{+}μ^{-} τ^+τ^-$ events in the 3.6-10 GeV/$c^{2}$ mass range. We use a 62.8 fb$^{-1}$ sample of $e^+e^-$ collisions collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider. The analysis probes three different models predicting a spin-1 particle coupling only to the heavier lepton families, a Higgs-like spin-0 particle that couples preferentially to charged leptons (leptophilic scalar), and an axion-like particle, respectively. We observe no evidence for a signal and set exclusion limits at 90% confidence level on the product of cross section and branching fraction into $τ$ pairs, ranging from 0.7 fb to 24 fb, and on the couplings of these processes. We obtain world-leading constraints on the couplings for the leptophilic scalar model for masses above 6.5 GeV/$c^2$ and for the axion-like particle model over the entire mass range.