Exact relativistic Toda chain eigenfunctions from Separation of Variables and gauge theory

We provide a proposal, motivated by Separation of Variables and gauge theory arguments, for constructing exact solutions to the quantum Baxter equation associated to the $N$-particle relativistic Toda chain and test our proposal against numerical results. Quantum Mechanical non-perturbative corrections, essential in order to obtain a sensible solution, are taken into account in our gauge theory approach by considering codimension two defects on curved backgrounds (squashed $S^5$ and degenerate limits) rather than flat space; this setting also naturally incorporates exact quantization conditions and energy spectrum of the relativistic Toda chain as well as its modular dual structure.