The staggered six-vertex model: Conformal invariance and corrections to scaling

We study the emergence of non-compact degrees of freedom in the low energy effective theory for a class. of Z(2)-staggered six-vertex models. In the finite size spectrum of the vertex model this shows up through the appearance of a continuum of critical exponents. To analyze this part of the spectrum we derive a set of coupled nonlinear integral equations from the Bethe ansatz solution of the vertex model which allow to compute the energies of the system for a range of anisotropies and of the staggering parameter. The critical theory is found to be independent of the staggering. Its spectrum and density of states coincide with the, SL(2, R)/U(1) Euclidean black hole conformal field theory which has been identified previously in the continuum limit of the vertex model for a particular 'self-dual' choice of the staggering. We also study the asymptotic behavior of subleading corrections to the finite size scaling and discuss our findings in the context of the conformal field theory. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.