so there are still test failures. let's check tomorrow

spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/aggregation/VectorSearchOperation.java

@@ -452,6 +452,18 @@ default LimitContributor vector(float... vector) {
 			return vector(Vector.of(vector));
 		}
 
+		/**
+		 * Array of byte numbers that represent the query vector. The number type must match the indexed field value type.
+		 * Otherwise, Atlas Vector Search doesn't return any results or errors.
+		 *
+		 * @param vector the query vector.
+		 * @return
+		 */
+		@Contract("_ -> this")
+		default LimitContributor vector(byte... vector) {
+			return vector(BinaryVector.int8Vector(vector));
+		}
+
 		/**
 		 * Array of double numbers that represent the query vector. The number type must match the indexed field value type.
 		 * Otherwise, Atlas Vector Search doesn't return any results or errors.

spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/convert/MongoConverters.java

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.data.mongodb.core.convert;
 
-import static org.springframework.data.convert.ConverterBuilder.*;
+import static org.springframework.data.convert.ConverterBuilder.reading;
 
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.math.BigInteger;
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Currency;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
@@ -47,10 +48,10 @@
 import org.bson.types.Code;
 import org.bson.types.Decimal128;
 import org.bson.types.ObjectId;
-
 import org.springframework.core.convert.ConversionFailedException;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.TypeDescriptor;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.ConditionalConverter;
+import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.ConditionalGenericConverter;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.Converter;
 import org.springframework.core.convert.converter.ConverterFactory;
 import org.springframework.data.convert.ReadingConverter;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.core.mapping.MongoVector;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.core.query.Term;
 import org.springframework.data.mongodb.core.script.NamedMongoScript;
+import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 import org.springframework.util.NumberUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
@@ -473,6 +475,36 @@ public Vector convert(BinaryVector source) {
 		}
 	}
 
+//	@WritingConverter
+//	enum BytesToBinaryVectorConverter implements ConditionalGenericConverter {
+//		INSTANCE;
+//
+//		@Nullable
+//		public BinaryVector convert(byte[] source) {
+//			return BinaryVector.int8Vector(source);
+//		}
+//
+//		@Override
+//		public boolean matches(TypeDescriptor sourceType, TypeDescriptor targetType) {
+//			return sourceType.getType() == byte[].class && targetType.getType() == BinaryVector.class;
+//		}
+//
+//		@Nullable
+//		@Override
+//		public Set<ConvertiblePair> getConvertibleTypes() {
+//			return Set.of(new ConvertiblePair(byte[].class, BinaryVector.class));
+//		}
+//
+//		@Nullable
+//		@Override
+//		public Object convert(@Nullable Object source, TypeDescriptor sourceType, TypeDescriptor targetType) {
+//			if(!matches(sourceType, targetType)) {
+//				return source;
+//			}
+//			return convert((byte[]) source);
+//		}
+//	}
+
 	/**
 	 * {@link ConverterFactory} implementation converting {@link AtomicLong} into {@link Long}.
 	 *

spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/index/SearchIndexOperations.java

@@ -46,14 +46,20 @@ public interface SearchIndexOperations {
 	void updateIndex(SearchIndexDefinition index);
 
 	/**
-	 * Check whether an index with the {@code name} exists.
+	 * Check whether an index with the {@code name} exists. To ensure an existing index is queryable it is recommended to
+	 * check its {@link #status(String) status}.
 	 *
 	 * @param name name of index to check for presence.
 	 * @return {@literal true} if the index exists; {@literal false} otherwise.
 	 */
 	boolean exists(String name);
 
-
+	/**
+	 * Check the actual {@link SearchIndexStatus} of an index.
+	 *
+	 * @param name name of index to check for presence.
+	 * @return {@literal true} if the index exists; {@literal false} otherwise.
+	 */
 	SearchIndexStatus status(String name);
 
 	/**

spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/index/SearchIndexStatus.java

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
  * You may obtain a copy of the License at
  *
- *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
  *
  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
  * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@
 package org.springframework.data.mongodb.core.index;
 
 /**
+ * Representation of different conditions a search index can be in.
+ *
  * @author Christoph Strobl
- * @since 2025/01
+ * @since 4.5
  */
 public enum SearchIndexStatus {
 
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ public enum SearchIndexStatus {
 	/** will cease to exist - no longer queryable */
 	DELETING,
 
-	/** well, that did not work - not queryable */
+	/** well, this one is broken - not queryable */
 	FAILED,
 
 	/** busy with other things, check back later - not queryable */

spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/core/mapping/FieldType.java

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
+import org.bson.BinaryVector;
+import org.bson.BsonBinary;
 import org.bson.types.BSONTimestamp;
 import org.bson.types.Binary;
 import org.bson.types.Code;
@@ -55,7 +57,8 @@ public enum FieldType {
 	INT32(15, Integer.class), //
 	TIMESTAMP(16, BSONTimestamp.class), //
 	INT64(17, Long.class), //
-	DECIMAL128(18, Decimal128.class);
+	DECIMAL128(18, Decimal128.class),
+	VECTOR(5, BinaryVector.class);
 
 	private final int bsonType;
 	private final Class<?> javaClass;

spring-data-mongodb/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/mongodb/util/BsonUtils.java

@@ -301,11 +301,19 @@ public static Object toJavaType(BsonValue value) {
 			case BOOLEAN -> value.asBoolean().getValue();
 			case OBJECT_ID -> value.asObjectId().getValue();
 			case DB_POINTER -> new DBRef(value.asDBPointer().getNamespace(), value.asDBPointer().getId());
-			case BINARY -> value.asBinary().getData();
+			case BINARY -> {
+
+				BsonBinary binary = value.asBinary();
+				if(binary.getType() != BsonBinarySubType.VECTOR.getValue()) {
+					yield binary.getData();
+				}
+				yield value.asBinary().asVector();
+			}
 			case DATE_TIME -> new Date(value.asDateTime().getValue());
 			case SYMBOL -> value.asSymbol().getSymbol();
 			case ARRAY -> value.asArray().toArray();
 			case DOCUMENT -> Document.parse(value.asDocument().toJson());
+
 			default -> value;
 		};
 	}