Topological sectors, dimer correlations and monomers from the transfer-matrix solution of the dimer model

We solve the classical square-lattice dimer model with periodic boundaries and in the presence of a field $\boldsymbol{t}$ that couples to the (vector) flux, by diagonalizing a modified version of Lieb's transfer matrix. After deriving the torus partition function in the thermodynamic limit, we show how the configuration space divides into 'topological sectors' corresponding to distinct values of the flux. Additionally, we demonstrate in general that expectation values are $\boldsymbol{t}$-independent at leading order, and obtain explicit expressions for dimer occupation numbers, dimer-dimer correlation functions and the monomer distribution function. The last of these is expressed as a Toeplitz determinant, whose asymptotic behavior for large monomer separation is tractable using the Fisher-Hartwig conjecture. Our results reproduce those previously obtained using Pfaffian techniques.