By using the general framework of affine Gaudin models, we construct a new class of integrable sigma models. They are defined on a coset of the direct product of N copies of a Lie group over some diagonal subgroup and they depend on 3N − 2 free parameters. For N = 1 the corresponding model coincides with the well-known symmetric space sigma model. Starting from the Hamiltonian formulation, we derive the Lagrangian for the N = 2 case and show that it admits a remarkably simple form in terms of the classical ℛ-matrix underlying the integrability of these models. We conjecture that a similar form of the Lagrangian holds for arbitrary N. Specifying our general construction to the case of SU(2) and N = 2, and eliminating one of the parameters, we find a new three-parametric integrable model with the manifold T1,1 as its target space. We further comment on the connection of our results with those existing in the literature.

We construct integrability-preserving deformations of the integrable σ-model coupling together N copies of the Principal Chiral Model. These deformed theories are obtained using the formalism of affine Gaudin models, by applying various combinations of Yang-Baxter and λ-deformations to the different copies of the undeformed model. We describe these models both in the Hamiltonian and Lagrangian formulation and give explicit expressions of their action and Lax pair. In particular, we recover through this construction various integrable λ-deformed models previously introduced in the literature. Finally, we discuss the relation of the present work with the semi-homolomorphic four-dimensional Chern-Simons theory.