Quantum spin chains and classical integrable systems

Abstract

Abstract This chapter is a review of the recently established quantum-classical correspondence for integrable systems based on the construction of the master T-operator. For integrable inhomogeneous quantum spin chains with gl(N)-invariant R-matrices in finite-dimensional representations, the master T-operator is a sort of generating function for the family of commuting quantum transfer matrices depending on an infinite number of parameters. Any eigenvalue of the master T-operator is the tau-function of the classical modified KP hierarchy. It is a polynomial in the spectral parameter which is identified with the 0th time of the hierarchy. This implies a remarkable relation between the quantum spin chains and classical many-body integrable systems of particles of the Ruijsenaars-Schneider type. As an outcome, a system of algebraic equations can be obtained for the spectrum of the spin chain Hamiltonians.