On non-gradient $$(m,\rho )$$-quasi-Einstein contact metric manifolds

Many authors have studied Ricci solitons and their analogs within the framework of (almost) contact geometry. In this article, we thoroughly study the $$(m,\rho )$$ -quasi-Einstein structure on a contact metric manifold. First, we prove that if a K-contact or Sasakian manifold $$M^{2n+1}$$ admits a closed $$(m,\rho )$$ -quasi-Einstein structure, then it is an Einstein manifold of constant scalar curvature $$2n(2n+1)$$ , and for the particular case—a non-Sasakian $$(k,\mu )$$ -contact structure—it is locally isometric to the product of a Euclidean space $${\mathbb {R}}^{n+1}$$ and a sphere $$S^n$$ of constant curvature 4. Next, we prove that if a compact contact or H-contact metric manifold admits an $$(m,\rho )$$ -quasi-Einstein structure, whose potential vector field V is collinear to the Reeb vector field, then it is a K-contact $$\eta $$ -Einstein manifold.