The minimal N = 2 superextension of the NLS equation

We show that the well known N = 1 NLS equation possesses N = 2 supersymmetry and thus it is actually the N = 2 NLS equation. This supersymmetry is hidden in terms of the commonly used N = 1 superfields but it becomes manifest after passing to the N = 2 ones. In terms of the new defined variables the second Hamiltonian structure of the supersymmetric NLS equation coincides with the N = 2 superconformal algebra and the N = 2 NLS equation belongs to the N = 2, a = 4 KdV hierarchy. We propose the KP-like Lax operator in terms of the N = 2 superfields which reproduces all the conserved currents for the corresponding hierarchy.