Contributor info: Prof. Giuliano Niccoli

Giuliano Niccoli, Véronique Terras

SciPost Phys. 16, 099 (2024) · published 9 April 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

This paper is a continuation of [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 55, 405203 (2022)], in which a set of matrix elements of local operators was computed for the XXZ spin-1/2 open chain with a particular case of unparallel boundary fields. Here, we extend these results to the more general case in which both fields are non-longitudinal and related by one constraint, allowing for a partial description of the spectrum by usual Bethe equations. More precisely, the complete spectrum and eigenstates can be characterized within the Separation of Variables (SoV) framework. One uses here the fact that, under the constraint, a part of this SoV spectrum can be described via solutions of a usual, homogeneous, TQ-equation, with corresponding transfer matrix eigenstates coinciding with generalized Bethe states. We explain how to generically compute the action of a basis of local operators on such kind of states, and this under the most general boundary condition on the last site of the chain. As a result, we can compute the matrix elements of some of these basis elements in any eigenstate described by the homogenous TQ-equation. Assuming, following a conjecture of Nepomechie and Ravanini, that the ground state itself can be described in this framework, we obtain multiple integral representations for these matrix elements in the half-infinite chain limit, generalizing those previously obtained in the case of longitudinal boundary fields and in the case of the special boundary conditions considered in [J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 55, 405203 (2022)].

Jean Michel Maillet, Giuliano Niccoli

SciPost Phys. 10, 026 (2021) · published 4 February 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We describe the extension, beyond fundamental representations of the Yang-Baxter algebra, of our new construction of separation of variables bases for quantum integrable lattice models. The key idea underlying our approach is to use the commuting conserved charges of the quantum integrable models to generate bases in which their spectral problem is separated, i.e. in which the wave functions are factorized in terms of specific solutions of a functional equation. For the so-called "non-fundamental" models we construct two different types of SoV bases. The first is given from the fundamental quantum Lax operator having isomorphic auxiliary and quantum spaces and that can be obtained by fusion of the original quantum Lax operator. The construction essentially follows the one we used previously for fundamental models and allows us to derive the simplicity and diagonalizability of the transfer matrix spectrum. Then, starting from the original quantum Lax operator and using the full tower of the fused transfer matrices, we introduce a second type of SoV bases for which the proof of the separation of the transfer matrix spectrum is naturally derived. We show that, under some special choice, this second type of SoV bases coincides with the one associated to Sklyanin's approach. Moreover, we derive the finite difference type (quantum spectral curve) functional equation and the set of its solutions defining the complete transfer matrix spectrum. This is explicitly implemented for the integrable quantum models associated to the higher spin representations of the general quasi-periodic Y(gl2) Yang-Baxter algebra. Our SoV approach also leads to the construction of a Q-operator in terms of the fused transfer matrices. Finally, we show that the Q-operator family can be equivalently used as the family of commuting conserved charges enabling to construct our SoV bases.

Giuliano Niccoli, Hai Pei, Véronique Terras

SciPost Phys. 10, 006 (2021) · published 12 January 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We explain how to compute correlation functions at zero temperature within the framework of the quantum version of the Separation of Variables (SoV) in the case of a simple model: the XXX Heisenberg chain of spin 1/2 with twisted (quasi-periodic) boundary conditions. We first detail all steps of our method in the case of anti-periodic boundary conditions. The model can be solved in the SoV framework by introducing inhomogeneity parameters. The action of local operators on the eigenstates are then naturally expressed in terms of multiple sums over these inhomogeneity parameters. We explain how to transform these sums over inhomogeneity parameters into multiple contour integrals. Evaluating these multiple integrals by the residues of the poles outside the integration contours, we rewrite this action as a sum involving the roots of the Baxter polynomial plus a contribution of the poles at infinity. We show that the contribution of the poles at infinity vanishes in the thermodynamic limit, and that we recover in this limit for the zero-temperature correlation functions the multiple integral representation that had been previously obtained through the study of the periodic case by Bethe Ansatz or through the study of the infinite volume model by the q-vertex operator approach. We finally show that the method can easily be generalized to the case of a more general non-diagonal twist: the corresponding weights of the different terms for the correlation functions in finite volume are then modified, but we recover in the thermodynamic limit the same multiple integral representation than in the periodic or anti-periodic case, hence proving the independence of the thermodynamic limit of the correlation functions with respect to the particular form of the boundary twist.

Jean Michel Maillet, Giuliano Niccoli, Louis Vignoli

SciPost Phys. 9, 086 (2020) · published 11 December 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

Using the framework of the quantum separation of variables (SoV) for higher rank quantum integrable lattice models [1], we introduce some foundations to go beyond the obtained complete transfer matrix spectrum description, and open the way to the computation of matrix elements of local operators. This first amounts to obtain simple expressions for scalar products of the so-called separate states (transfer matrix eigenstates or some simple generalization of them). In the higher rank case, left and right SoV bases are expected to be pseudo-orthogonal, that is for a given SoV co-vector, there could be more than one non-vanishing overlap with the vectors of the chosen right SoV basis. For simplicity, we describe our method to get these pseudo-orthogonality overlaps in the fundamental representations of the $\mathcal{Y}(gl_3)$ lattice model with $N$ sites, a case of rank 2. The non-zero couplings between the co-vector and vector SoV bases are exactly characterized. While the corresponding SoV-measure stays reasonably simple and of possible practical use, we address the problem of constructing left and right SoV bases which do satisfy standard orthogonality. In our approach, the SoV bases are constructed by using families of conserved charges. This gives us a large freedom in the SoV bases construction, and allows us to look for the choice of a family of conserved charges which leads to orthogonal co-vector/vector SoV bases. We first define such a choice in the case of twist matrices having simple spectrum and zero determinant. Then, we generalize the associated family of conserved charges and orthogonal SoV bases to generic simple spectrum and invertible twist matrices. Under this choice of conserved charges, and of the associated orthogonal SoV bases, the scalar products of separate states simplify considerably and take a form similar to the $\mathcal{Y}(gl_2)$ rank one case.

Jean Michel Maillet, Giuliano Niccoli, Louis Vignoli

SciPost Phys. 9, 060 (2020) · published 27 October 2020 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We construct quantum Separation of Variables (SoV) bases for both the fundamental inhomogeneous $gl_{\mathcal{M}|\mathcal{N}}$ supersymmetric integrable models and for the inhomogeneous Hubbard model both defined with quasi-periodic twisted boundary conditions given by twist matrices having simple spectrum. The SoV bases are obtained by using the integrable structure of these quantum models,i.e. the associated commuting transfer matrices, following the general scheme introduced in [1]; namely, they are given by set of states generated by the multiple action of the transfer matrices on a generic co-vector. The existence of such SoV bases implies that the corresponding transfer matrices have non degenerate spectrum and that they are diagonalizable with simple spectrum if the twist matrices defining the quasi-periodic boundary conditions have that property. Moreover, in these SoV bases the resolution of the transfer matrix eigenvalue problem leads to the resolution of the full spectral problem, i.e. both eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Indeed, to any eigenvalue is associated the unique (up to a trivial overall normalization) eigenvector whose wave-function in the SoV bases is factorized into products of the corresponding transfer matrix eigenvalue computed on the spectrum of the separate variables. As an application, we characterize completely the transfer matrix spectrum in our SoV framework for the fundamental $gl_{1|2}$ supersymmetric integrable model associated to a special class of twist matrices. From these results we also prove the completeness of the Bethe Ansatz for that case. The complete solution of the spectral problem for fundamental inhomogeneous $gl_{\mathcal{M}|\mathcal{N}}$ supersymmetric integrable models and for the inhomogeneous Hubbard model under the general twisted boundary conditions will be addressed in a future publication.

Jean Michel Maillet, Giuliano Niccoli

SciPost Phys. 6, 071 (2019) · published 21 June 2019 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We apply our new approach of quantum Separation of Variables (SoV) to the complete characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum of quantum integrable lattice models associated to gl(n)-invariant R-matrices in the fundamental representations. We consider lattices with N sites and quasi-periodic boundary conditions associated to an arbitrary twist K having simple spectrum (but not necessarily diagonalizable). In our approach the SoV basis is constructed in an universal manner starting from the direct use of the conserved charges of the models, i.e., from the commuting family of transfer matrices. Using the integrable structure of the models, incarnated in the hierarchy of transfer matrices fusion relations, we prove that our SoV basis indeed separates the spectrum of the corresponding transfer matrices. Moreover, the combined use of the fusion rules, of the known analytic properties of the transfer matrices and of the SoV basis allows us to obtain the complete characterization of the transfer matrix spectrum and to prove its simplicity. Any transfer matrix eigenvalue is completely characterized as a solution of a so-called quantum spectral curve equation that we obtain as a difference functional equation of order n. Namely, any eigenvalue satisfies this equation and any solution of this equation having prescribed properties leads to an eigenvalue. We construct the associated eigenvector, unique up to normalization, by computing its decomposition on the SoV basis that is of a factorized form written in terms of the powers of the corresponding eigenvalues. If the twist matrix K is diagonalizable with simple spectrum then the transfer matrix is also diagonalizable with simple spectrum. In that case, we give a construction of the Baxter Q-operator satisfying a T-Q equation of order n, the quantum spectral curve equation, involving the hierarchy of the fused transfer matrices.

J. M. Maillet, G. Niccoli, B. Pezelier

SciPost Phys. 5, 026 (2018) · published 24 September 2018 | Toggle abstract · pdf

This article is a direct continuation of [1] where we begun the study of the transfer matrix spectral problem for the cyclic representations of the trigonometric 6-vertex reflection algebra associated to the Bazhanov-Stroganov Lax operator. There we addressed this problem for the case where one of the K-matrices describing the boundary conditions is triangular. In the present article we consider the most general integrable boundary conditions, namely the most general boundary K-matrices satisfying the reflection equation. The spectral analysis is developed by implementing the method of Separation of Variables (SoV). We first design a suitable gauge transformation that enable us to put into correspondence the spectral problem for the most general boundary conditions with another one having one boundary K-matrix in a triangular form. In these settings the SoV resolution can be obtained along an extension of the method described in [1]. The transfer matrix spectrum is then completely characterized in terms of the set of solutions to a discrete system of polynomial equations in a given class of functions and equivalently as the set of solutions to an analogue of Baxter's T-Q functional equation. We further describe scalar product properties of the separate states including eigenstates of the transfer matrix.

Jean Michel Maillet, Giuliano Niccoli, Baptiste Pezelier

SciPost Phys. 2, 009 (2017) · published 28 February 2017 | Toggle abstract · pdf

We study the transfer matrix spectral problem for the cyclic representations of the trigonometric 6-vertex reflection algebra associated to the Bazhanov-Stroganov Lax operator. The results apply as well to the spectral analysis of the lattice sine-Gordon model with integrable open boundary conditions. This spectral analysis is developed by implementing the method of separation of variables (SoV). The transfer matrix spectrum (both eigenvalues and eigenstates) is completely characterized in terms of the set of solutions to a discrete system of polynomial equations in a given class of functions. Moreover, we prove an equivalent characterization as the set of solutions to a Baxter's like T-Q functional equation and rewrite the transfer matrix eigenstates in an algebraic Bethe ansatz form. In order to explain our method in a simple case, the present paper is restricted to representations containing one constraint on the boundary parameters and on the parameters of the Bazhanov-Stroganov Lax operator. In a next article, some more technical tools (like Baxter's gauge transformations) will be introduced to extend our approach to general integrable boundary conditions.