The Lattice $\beta$-function of Quantum Spin Chains

Abstract

We derive the lattice $\beta$-function for quantum spin chains, suitable for relating finite temperature Monte Carlo data to the zero temperature fixed points of the continuum nonlinear sigma model. Our main result is that the asymptotic freedom of this lattice $\beta$-function is responsible for the nonintegrable singularity in $\theta$, that prevents analytic continuation between $\theta=0$ and $\theta=\pi$.