Yangian symmetry of integrable quantum chains with long-range interactions and a new description of states in conformal field theory

Abstract

The SU(n) quantum chains with inverse-square exchange exhibit a novel form of Yangian symmetry compatible with periodic boundary conditions, allowing states to be countable. We characterize the ``supermultiplets'' of the spectrum in terms of generalized ``occupation numbers.'' We embed the model in the k=1 SU(n) Kac-Moody algebra and obtain a new classification of the states of conformal field theory, adapted to particlelike elementary excitations obeying fractional statistics.