On two-loop corrections to the Higgs trilinear coupling in models with extended scalar sectors

Abstract

We investigate the possible size of two-loop radiative corrections to the Higgs trilinear coupling $\lambda_{hhh}$ in two types of models with extended Higgs sectors, namely in a Two-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM) and in the Inert Doublet Model (IDM). We calculate the leading contributions at two loops arising from the additional (heavy) scalars and the top quark of these theories in the effective-potential approximation. We include all necessary conversion shifts in order to obtain expressions both in the $\overline{\text{MS}}$ and on-shell renormalisation schemes, and in particular, we devise a consistent "on-shell" prescription for the soft-breaking mass of the 2HDM at the two-loop level. We illustrate our analytical results with numerical studies of simple aligned scenarios and show that the two-loop corrections to $\lambda_{hhh}$ remain smaller than their one-loop counterparts, with a typical size being 10-20% of the one-loop corrections, at least while perturbative unitarity conditions are fulfilled. As a consequence, the existence of a large deviation of the Higgs trilinear coupling from the prediction in the Standard Model, which has been discussed in the literature at one loop, is not altered significantly.