On the boundaries of quantum integrability for the spin-1/2 Richardson-Gaudin system

Abstract: We discuss a generalised version of Sklyanin's Boundary Quantum Inverse Scattering Method applied to the spin-1/2, trigonometric sl(2) case, for which both the twisted-periodic and boundary constructions are obtained as limiting cases. We then investigate the quasi-classical limit of this approach leading to a set of mutually commuting conserved operators which we refer to as the trigonometric, spin-1/2 Richardson-Gaudin system. We prove that the rational limit of the set of conserved operators for the trigonometric system is equivalent, through a change of variables, rescaling, and a basis transformation, to the original set of trigonometric conserved operators. Moreover we prove that the twisted-periodic and boundary constructions are equivalent in the trigonometric case, but not in the rational limit.