Conservation laws, integrability, and transport in one-dimensional quantum systems

Abstract

In integrable one-dimensional quantum systems an infinite set of local conserved quantities exists which can prevent a current from decaying completely. For cases like the spin current in the $\mathit{XXZ}$ model at zero magnetic field or the charge current in the attractive Hubbard model at half filling, however, the current operator does not have overlap with any of the local conserved quantities. We show that in these situations transport at finite temperatures is dominated by a diffusive contribution with the Drude weight being either small or even zero. For the $\mathit{XXZ}$ model we discuss in detail the relation between our results, the phenomenological theory of spin diffusion, and measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation rate in spin chain compounds. Furthermore, we study the Haldane-Shastry model where a conserved spin current exists.