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arXiv:2503.15398 · Journal of Physics A Mathematical and Theoretical

Separation of variables for higher rank integrable models: review of recent progress

Fedor Levkovich-Maslyuk

Published Jun 4, 2025• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Separation of variables (SoVs) is a powerful method expected to be applicable for a wide range of quantum integrable systems, from models in condensed matter physics to gauge and string theories. Yet its full implementation for many higher rank examples, such as SU(N) spin chains with N > 2, has remained elusive for a long time. In this pedagogical review we discuss the major progress achieved recently in understanding SoV for models of this type. In particular, for rational SU(N) spin chains we describe different constructions of the SoV basis, novel compact forms for spin chain eigenstates, the functional SoV approach, and explicit computation of the SoV measure. We also discuss key first applications of these results, namely the new compact determinant representations for many observables such as scalar products and correlators.

DOI
10.1088/1751-8121/ade103

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arXiv:2003.04281•SciPost Physics•Dec 11, 2020•32 citations
Abstract Separation of variables (SoVs) is a powerful method expected to be applicable for a wide range of quantum integrable systems, from models in condensed matter physics to gauge and string theories. Yet its full implementation for many higher rank examples, such as SU(N) spin chains with N > 2, has remained elusive for a long time. In this pedagogical review we discuss the major progress achieved recently in understanding SoV for models of this type. In particular, for rational SU(N) spin chains we describe different constructions of the SoV basis, novel compact forms for spin chain eigenstates, the functional SoV approach, and explicit computation of the SoV measure. We also discuss key first applications of these results, namely the new compact determinant representations for many observables such as scalar products and correlators.
Abstract Separation of variables (SoV) is a special property of integrable models which ensures that the wavefunction has a very simple factorised form in a specially designed basis. Even though the factorisation of the wavefunction was recently established for higher rank models by two of the authors and G. Sizov, the measure for the scalar product was not known beyond the case of rank one symmetry. In this paper we show how this measure can be found, bypassing an explicit SoV construction. A key new observation is that the measure for spin chains in a highest-weight infinite dimensional representation of 𝔰𝔩(N) couples Q-functions at different nesting levels in a non-symmetric fashion. We also managed to express a large number of form factors as ratios of determinants in our new approach. We expect our method to be applicable in a much wider setup including the problem of computing correlators in integrable CFTs such as the fishnet theory, N \mathcal{N} N N = 4 SYM and the ABJM model.
This article, based on the author's PhD thesis, reviews recent advancements in the field of quantum integrability, in particular the separation of variables (SoV) program for high-rank integrable spin chains and the boost mechanism for solving the Yang-Baxter equation. We begin with a general overview of quantum integrable systems with special emphasis on their description in terms of quantum algebras. We then provide a detailed account of the Yangian of gl(n)\mathfrak{gl}(n)gl(n) in particular the Bethe algebra, fusion, and T- and Q-systems. We then introduce the notion of separation of variables in integrable systems and build on Sklyanin's work in rank 1 models and extend to higher rank. By exploiting a novel link between SoV and quantum algebra representation theory we construct the separated variables for gl(n)\mathfrak{gl}(n)gl(n) spin chains for arbitrary compact representations of the symmetry algebra and develop various new tools along the way. Next, we build on the previous part and develop a new technique for the computation of scalar products in the SoV framework which we call Functional SoV or FSoV. Unlike the work in the previous, operatorial, part this approach is based on the Baxter TQ equations. After developing this technique we supplement it with a new operator construction providing a unified view of functional and operatorial SoV. Then, we generalise the results of the previous part from compact spin chains to non-compact spin chains. The final part of this work is based on the development of tools for solving the Yang- Baxter equation. We develop a bottom-up approach for this based on the so-called Boost automorphism and uses the spin chain Hamiltonian as a starting point. Our approach allows us to classify numerous families of solutions in particular a complete classification of 4 x 4 solutions which preserve fermion number which have applications in the AdS/CFT correspondence.
Abstract In this paper we take further steps towards developing the separation of variables program for integrable spin chains with gl(N) \mathfrak{gl}(N) gl(N) gl N symmetry. By finding, for the first time, the matrix elements of the SoV measure explicitly we were able to compute correlation functions and wave function overlaps in a simple determinant form. In particular, we show how an overlap between on-shell and off-shell algebraic Bethe states can be written as a determinant. Another result, particularly useful for AdS/CFT applications, is an overlap between two Bethe states with different twists, which also takes a determinant form in our approach. Our results also extend our previous works in collaboration with A. Cavaglia and D. Volin to general values of the spin, including the SoV construction in the higher-rank non-compact case for the first time.
Separation of variables (SoV) is an extremely efficient and elegant technique for analysing physical systems but its application to integrable spin chains was limited until recently to the simplest su(2) cases. In this paper we continue developing the SoV program for higher-rank spin chains and demonstrate how to derive the measure for the su(3) case. Our results are a natural consequence of factorisability of the wave function and functional orthogonality relations following from the interplay between Baxter equations for Q-functions and their dual.
Abstract Integrable sl \mathfrak{sl} sl sl (N) spin chains, which we consider in this paper, are not only the prototypical example of quantum integrable systems but also systems with a wide range of applications. For these models we use the Functional Separation of Variables (FSoV) technique with a new tool called Character Projection to compute all matrix elements of a complete set of operators, which we call principal operators, in the basis diagonalising the tower of conserved charges as determinants in Q-functions. Building up on these results we then derive similar determinant forms for the form-factors of combinations of multiple principal operators between arbitrary factorizable states, which include, in particular, off-shell Bethe vectors and Bethe vectors with arbitrary twists. We prove that the set of principal operators generates the complete spin chain Yangian. Furthermore, we derive the representation of these operators in the SoV bases allowing one to compute correlation functions with an arbitrary number of principal operators. Finally, we show that the available combinations of multiple insertions includes Sklyanin’s SoV B operator. As a result, we are able to derive the B operator for sl \mathfrak{sl} sl sl (N) spin chains using a minimal set of ingredients, namely the FSoV method and the structure of the SoV basis.
Using the framework of the quantum separation of variables (SoV) for higher rank quantum integrable lattice models , 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, that are 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 \langle\underline{\mathbf{h}}\rangle ⟨ 𝐡 ̲ ⟩ , there could be more than one non-vanishing overlap \langle{\underline{\mathbf{h}}}|{\underline{\mathbf{k}}}\rangle ⟨ 𝐡 ̲ | 𝐤 ̲ ⟩ with the vectors |{\underline{\mathbf{k}}}\rangle | 𝐤 ̲ ⟩ 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) 𝒴 ( g l 3 ) lattice model with N 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 (by standard we mean \langle{\underline{\mathbf{h}}}|{\underline{\mathbf{k}}}\rangle \propto \delta_{\underline{\mathbf{h}}, \underline{\mathbf{k}}} ⟨ 𝐡 ̲ | 𝐤 ̲ ⟩ ∝ δ 𝐡 ̲ , 𝐤 ̲ ). 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) 𝒴 ( g l 2 )