Thermal form factors of the XXZ chain and the large-distance asymptotics of its temperature dependent correlation functions

Abstract

We derive expressions for the form factors of the quantum transfer matrix of the spin- XXZ chain which are suitable for taking the infinite Trotter number limit. These form factors determine the finitely many amplitudes in the leading asymptotics of the finite-temperature correlation functions of the model. We consider form factor expansions of the longitudinal and transversal two-point functions. Remarkably, the formulae for the amplitudes are in both cases of the same form. We also explain how to adapt our formulae to the description of ground-state correlation functions of the finite chain. The usefulness of our novel formulae is demonstrated by working out explicit results in the high- and low-temperature limits. We obtain, in particular, the large-distance asymptotics of the longitudinal two-point functions for small temperatures by summing up the asymptotically most relevant terms in the form factor expansion of a generating function of the longitudinal correlation functions. As expected, the leading term in the expansion of the corresponding two-point functions is in accordance with conformal field theory predictions. Here it is obtained for the first time by a direct calculation.