Line shapes of dynamical correlation functions in Heisenberg chains

Abstract

We calculate line shapes of correlation functions by use of complete diagonalization data of finite chains and analytical implications from conformal field theory, density of states, and Bethe ansatz. The numerical data have different finite size accuracy in case of the imaginary and real parts in the frequency and time representations of spin-correlation functions, respectively. The low temperature, conformally invariant regime crosses over at $T^*\approx 0.7J$ to a diffusive regime that in turn connects continuously to the high temperature, interacting fermion regime. The first moment sum rule is determined.