Exact solution of the open Heisenberg chain with two impurities

Abstract

We propose an integrable model of the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain coupled to two impurity moments. With the open boundary conditions at the impurity sites, the model can be exactly solved for arbitrary impurity spin and arbitrary exchange constants between the bulk and the impurities. The absence of redundant terms in the Hamiltonian makes the model very reasonable. The Hamiltonian is diagonalized via algebraic Bethe ansatz. It is found that the impurity spins can only be screened (partially for $S>1/2$) for antiferromagnetic coupling between the impurity and the bulk. Otherwise the impurity spins cannot be screened. The residual entropy of the ground state and the Kondo temperature are also derived explicitly based on the Bethe ansatz and the local Fermi-liquid theory.