Hayrapetyan, A.Tumasyan, A.Adam, W.Andrejkovic, J.W.Benato, L.Bergauer, T.Da Silveira, G.G.2026-02-102026-02-1020251029-8479https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP12(2025)052https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13091/12995A search for t-channel exchange of leptoquarks (LQs) is performed in dimuon and dielectron spectra using proton-proton collision data collected at TeV with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. Eight scenarios are considered, in which up or down quarks couple to muons or electrons via a scalar or vector LQ exchange, for dilepton invariant masses above 500 GeV. The LQ masses are probed up to 5 TeV, beyond a regime probed by previous pair-production and single-production searches. The differential distributions of dilepton events are fit to templates that model the nonresonant LQ exchange and various standard model background processes. Limits are set on LQ-fermion coupling strengths for scalar and vector LQ masses in the 1–5 TeV range at 95% confidence level, establishing stringent limits on first- and second-generation LQs. © The Author(s) 2025.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessBeyond Standard ModelHadron-Hadron ScatteringLepton ProductionArticle10.1007/JHEP12(2025)0522-s2.0-105027981837