Exact S matrices for integrable quantum spin chains

Abstract

We begin with a review of the antiferromagnetic spin 1/2 Heisenberg chain. In particular, we show that the model has particle-like excitations with spin 1/2, and we compute the exact bulk S matrix. We then review our recent work which generalizes these results. We first consider an integrable alternating spin 1/2 - spin 1 chain. In addition to having excitations with spin 1/2, this model also has excitations with spin 0. We compute the bulk S matrix, which has some unusual features. We then consider the open antiferromagnetic spin 1/2 Heisenberg chain with boundary magnetic fields. We give a direct calculation of the boundary S matrix. (Talk presented at the conference on Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory at USC, 16 - 21 May 1994)