A symmetry formula for correlation functions in the superintegrable chiral Potts spin chain

Abstract

We prove an exact finite-volume symmetry formula for two-point functions in the periodic $N$-state superintegrable chiral Potts spin chain. We show that, for every chain length $L$ and every simultaneous eigenvector of the Hamiltonian and the one-site translation operator, the correlations satisfy $\langle Z_0^r Z_R^{\dagger r}\rangle^*=\langle Z_0^r Z_{L-R}^{\dagger r}\rangle$ for $1\leqslant r\leqslant N-1$. Hence, whenever $L$ is even, the midpoint correlation $\langle Z_0^r Z_{L/2}^{\dagger r}\rangle$ is real. Then we generalise the three-state chain case to arbitrary $N$ and to every translation eigensector. This resolves a conjecture of Fabricius and McCoy.