The quench map in an integrable classical field theory: nonlinear Schrödinger equation

We study the non-equilibrium dynamics obtained by an abrupt change (a quench) in the parameters of an integrable classical field theory, the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We first consider explicit one-soliton examples, which we fully describe by solving the direct part of the inverse scattering problem. We then develop some aspects of the general theory using elements of the inverse scattering method. For this purpose, we introduce the quench map which acts on the space of scattering data and represents the change of parameter with fixed field configuration (initial condition). We describe some of its analytic properties by implementing a higher level version of the inverse scattering method, and we discuss the applications of Darboux–Bäcklund transformations, Gelfand–Levitan–Marchenko equations and the Rosales series solution to a related, dual quench problem. Finally, we comment on the interplay between quantum and classical tools around the theme of quenches and on the usefulness of the quantization of our classical approach to the quantum quench problem.