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Thermal form factors of the XXZ chain and the large-distance asymptotics of its temperature dependent correlation functions

We derive expressions for the form factors of the quantum transfer matrix of the spin-1/2 XXZ chain which are suitable for taking the infinite Trotter number limit. These form factors determine the finitely many amplitudes in the leading asymptotics of the finite-temperature correlation functions of the model. We consider form-factor expansions of the longitudinal and transversal two-point functions. Remarkably, the formulae for the amplitudes are in both cases of the same form. We also explain how to adapt our formulae to the description of ground state correlation functions of the finite chain. The usefulness of our novel formulae is demonstrated by working out explicit results in the high- and low-temperature limits. We obtain, in particular, the large-distance asymptotics of the longitudinal two-point functions for small temperatures by summing up the asymptotically most relevant terms in the form factor expansion of a generating function of the longitudinal correlation functions. As expected the leading term in the expansion of the corresponding two-point functions is in accordance with conformal field theory predictions. Here it is obtained for the first time by a direct calculation.