Consequences of integrability breaking in quench dynamics of pairing Hamiltonians

We study the collisionless dynamics of two classes of nonintegrable pairing models. One is a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer model with separable energy-dependent interactions, and the other is a two-dimensional topological superconductor with spin-orbit coupling and a band-splitting external field. The long-time quantum quench dynamics at integrable points of these models are well understood. Namely the squared magnitude of the time-dependent order parameter $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}(t)$ can vanish (Phase I), reach a nonzero constant (Phase II), or periodically oscillate as an elliptic function (Phase III). We demonstrate that nonintegrable models, too, exhibit some or all of these nonequilibrium phases. Remarkably, elliptic periodic oscillations persist, even though both their amplitude and functional form change drastically with integrability breaking. Striking new phenomena accompany loss of integrability. First, an extremely long timescale emerges in the relaxation to Phase III, such that short-time numerical simulations risk erroneously classifying the asymptotic state. This timescale diverges near integrable points. Second, an entirely new Phase IV of quasiperiodic oscillations of $|\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}|$ emerges in the quantum quench phase diagrams of nonintegrable pairing models. As integrability techniques do not apply for the models we study, we develop the concept of asymptotic self-consistency and a linear stability analysis of the asymptotic phases. With the help of these new tools, we determine the phase boundaries, characterize the asymptotic state, and clarify the physical meaning of the quantum quench phase diagrams of BCS superconductors. We also propose an explanation of these diagrams in terms of bifurcation theory.