Analytical eigenstates for the quantum Rabi model

We develop a method to find analytical solutions for the eigenstates of the quantum Rabi model. These include symmetric, anti-symmetric and asymmetric analytic solutions given in terms of the confluent Heun functions. Both regular and exceptional solutions are given in a unified form. In addition, the analytic conditions for determining the energy spectrum are obtained. Our results show that conditions proposed by Braak (2011 Phys. Rev. Lett. 107 100401) are a type of sufficiency condition for determining the regular solutions. The well-known Judd isolated exact solutions appear naturally as truncations of the confluent Heun functions. (paper)