Bethe states of the trigonometric SU(3) spin chain with generic open boundaries

By combining the algebraic Bethe ansatz and the off-diagonal Bethe ansatz, we investigate the trigonometric SU(3) model with generic open boundaries. The eigenvalues of the transfer matrix are given in terms of an inhomogeneous T-Q relation, and the corresponding eigenstates are expressed in terms of nested Bethe-type eigenstates which have well-defined homogeneous limit. This exact solution provides a basis for further analyzing the thermodynamic properties and correlation functions of the anisotropic models associated with higher rank algebras.