Experimental violation of a Bell's inequality with efficient detection

Loophole-free Bell inequality violation with superconducting circuits

Superposition, entanglement and non-locality constitute fundamental features of quantum physics. The fact that quantum physics does not follow the principle of local causality1-3 can be experimentally demonstrated in Bell tests4 performed on pairs of spatially separated, entangled quantum systems. Although Bell tests, which are widely regarded as a litmus test of quantum physics, have been explored using a broad range of quantum systems over the past 50 years, only relatively recently have experiments free of so-called loopholes5 succeeded. Such experiments have been performed with spins in nitrogen-vacancy centres6, optical photons7-9 and neutral atoms10. Here we demonstrate a loophole-free violation of Bell's inequality with superconducting circuits, which are a prime contender for realizing quantum computing technology11. To evaluate a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-type Bell inequality4, we deterministically entangle a pair of qubits12 and perform fast and high-fidelity measurements13 along randomly chosen bases on the qubits connected through a cryogenic link14 spanning a distance of 30 metres. Evaluating more than 1 million experimental trials, we find an average S value of 2.0747 ± 0.0033, violating Bell's inequality with a P value smaller than 10-108. Our work demonstrates that non-locality is a viable new resource in quantum information technology realized with superconducting circuits with potential applications in quantum communication, quantum computing and fundamental physics15.

Experimental full-domain mapping of quantum correlation in Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt scenarios

Quantum correlation between two parties serves as an important resource in the surging applications of quantum information. The Bell nonlocality and quantum steering have been proposed to describe non-classical correlations against local-hidden-variable and local-hidden-state theories, respectively. To characterize the two types of non-classical correlations, various nonlocality and steering inequalities have been established, and the amount of inequality violation serves as an important indicator for many entanglement-based tasks. Quantum state tomography has been employed for measuring quantum states, while the method requires intensive computation and does not directly verify either nonlocality or steering over the full domain independent of established theories. Here, we experimentally map the full-domain correlation with bipartite states for nonlocality and quantum steering in CHSH scenarios. The measurement of the maps automatically accounts for detection imperfections. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of the correlation maps in the entanglement-based quantum key distribution protocol with arbitrary bipartite states. The correlation maps show direct measurements and simple interpretations that can answer fundamental questions about nonlocality and quantum steering as well as contribute to quantum information applications in a straightforward manner.

On the Fidelity Robustness of CHSH-Bell Inequality via Filtered Random States

The theorem developed by John Bell constituted the starting point of a revolution that translated a philosophical question about the nature of reality into the broad and intense field of research of the quantum information technologies. We focus on a system of two qubits prepared in a random, mixed state, and we study the typical behavior of their nonlocality via the CHSH-Bell inequality. Afterward, motivated by the necessity of accounting for inefficiency in the state preparation, we address to what extent states close enough to one with a high degree of nonclassicality can violate local realism with a previously chosen experimental setup.

Experimental Refutation of Real-Valued Quantum Mechanics under Strict Locality Conditions

Quantum mechanics is commonly formulated in a complex, rather than real, Hilbert space. However, whether quantum theory really needs the participation of complex numbers has been debated ever since its birth. Recently, a Bell-like test in an entanglement-swapping scenario has been proposed to distinguish standard quantum mechanics from its real-valued analog. Previous experiments have conceptually demonstrated, yet not satisfied, the central requirement of independent state preparation and measurements and leave several loopholes. Here, we implement such a Bell-like test with two separated independent sources delivering entangled photons to three separated parties under strict locality conditions that are enforced by spacelike separation of the relevant events, rapid random setting generation, and fast measurement. With the fair-sampling assumption and closed loopholes of independent source, locality, and measurement independence simultaneously, we violate the constraints of real-valued quantum mechanics by 5.30 standard deviations. Our results disprove the real-valued quantum theory to describe nature and ensure the indispensable role of complex numbers in quantum mechanics.

High-Dimensional Bell Test without Detection Loophole

Violation of Bell's inequalities shows strong conflict between quantum mechanics and local realism. Loophole-free Bell tests not only deepen understanding of quantum mechanics, but are also important foundations for device-independent (DI) tasks in quantum information. High-dimensional quantum systems offer a significant advantage over qubits for closing the detection loophole. In the symmetric scenario, a detection efficiency as low as 61.8% can be tolerated using four-dimensional states and a four-setting Bell inequality [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 060401 (2010)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.104.060401]. For the first time, we show that four-dimensional entangled photons violate a Bell inequality while closing the detection loophole in experiment. The detection efficiency of the four-dimensional entangled source is about 71.7%, and the fidelity of the state is 0.995±0.001. Combining the technique of multicore fibers, the realization of loophole-free high-dimensional Bell tests and high-dimensional quantum DI technologies are promising.

Quantum Liang Information Flow as Causation Quantifier

Liang information flow is widely used in classical systems and network theory for causality quantification and has been applied widely, for example, to finance, neuroscience, and climate studies. The key part of the theory is to freeze a node of a network to ascertain its causal influence on other nodes. Such a theory is yet to be applied to quantum network dynamics. Here, we generalize the Liang information flow to the quantum domain with respect to von Neumann entropy and exemplify its usage by applying it to a variety of small quantum networks.

Randomness-based macroscopic Franson-type nonlocal correlation

Franson-type nonlocal correlation is related to Bell inequality violation tests and has been applied for quantum key distributions based on time bin methods. Using unbalanced Mach–Zehnder interferometers, Franson correlation measurements result in an interference fringe, while local measurements do not. Here, randomness-based macroscopic Franson-type correlation is presented using polarization-based two-mode coherent photons, where the quantum correlation is tested by a Hong-Ou-Mandel scheme. Coherent photons are used to investigate the wave properties of this correlation. Without contradicting the wave-particle duality of quantum mechanics, the proposed method provides fundamental understanding of the quantum nature and opens the door to deterministic quantum information science.

Violating Bell inequality using weak coherent states

We present an experimental investigation of two-photon interference using a continuous-wave laser. We demonstrate the violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality using the phase-randomized weak coherent states from a continuous-wave laser. Our implementation serves as an approach to reveal the quantum nature of a state that is considered to be a classical state.

The Violation of Bell-CHSH Inequalities Leads to Different Conclusions Depending on the Description Used

Since the experimental observation of the violation of the Bell-CHSH inequalities, much has been said about the non-local and contextual character of the underlying system. However, the hypothesis from which Bell's inequalities are derived differ according to the probability space used to write them. The violation of Bell's inequalities can, alternatively, be explained by assuming that the hidden variables do not exist at all, that they exist but their values cannot be simultaneously assigned, that the values can be assigned but joint probabilities cannot be properly defined, or that averages taken in different contexts cannot be combined. All of the above are valid options, selected by different communities to provide support to their particular research program.

Many-Body Nonlocality as a Resource for Quantum-Enhanced Metrology

We demonstrate that the many-body nonlocality witnessed by a broad family of Bell inequalities is a resource for ultraprecise metrology. We formulate a general scheme which allows one to track how the sensitivity grows with the nonlocality extending over an increasing number of particles. We illustrate our findings with some prominent examples-a collection of spins forming an Ising chain and a gas of ultracold atoms in any two-mode configuration. We show that in the vicinity of a quantum critical point the rapid increase of the sensitivity is accompanied by the emergence of the many-body Bell nonlocality. The method described in this work allows for a systematic study of highly quantum phenomena in complex systems, and also extends the understanding of the beneficial role played by fundamental nonclassical effects in implementations of quantum-enhanced protocols.

Bell inequalities for entangled qubits: quantitative tests of quantum character and nonlocality on quantum computers

This work provides quantitative tests of the extent of violation of two inequalities applicable to qubits coupled into Bell states, using IBM's publicly accessible quantum computers. Violations of the inequalities are well established. Our purpose is not to test the inequalities, but rather to determine how well quantum mechanical predictions can be reproduced on quantum computers, given their current fault rates. We present results for the spin projections of two entangled qubits, along three axes A, B, and C, with a fixed angle θ between A and B and a range of angles θ' between B and C. For any classical object that can be characterized by three observables with two possible values, inequalities govern relationships among the probabilities of outcomes for the observables, taken pairwise. From set theory, these inequalities must be satisfied by all such classical objects; but quantum systems may violate the inequalities. We have detected clear-cut violations of one inequality in runs on IBM's publicly accessible quantum computers. The Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality governs a linear combination S of expectation values of products of spin projections, taken pairwise. Finding S > 2 rules out local, hidden variable theories for entangled quantum systems. We obtained values of S greater than 2 in our runs prior to error mitigation. To reduce the quantitative errors, we used a modification of the error-mitigation procedure in the IBM documentation. We prepared a pair of qubits in the state |00〉, found the probabilities to observe the states |00〉, |01〉, |10〉, and |11〉 in multiple runs, and used that information to construct the first column of an error matrix M. We repeated this procedure for states prepared as |01〉, |10〉, and |11〉 to construct the full matrix M, whose inverse is the filtering matrix. After applying filtering matrices to our averaged outcomes, we have found good quantitative agreement between the quantum computer output and the quantum mechanical predictions for the extent of violation of both inequalities as functions of θ'.

Two-Particle Interference with Double Twin-Atom Beams

We demonstrate a source for correlated pairs of atoms characterized by two opposite momenta and two spatial modes forming a Bell state only involving external degrees of freedom. We characterize the state of the emitted atom beams by observing strong number squeezing up to -10  dB in the correlated two-particle modes of emission. We furthermore demonstrate genuine two-particle interference in the normalized second-order correlation function g^{(2)} relative to the emitted atoms.

Chirality: The Backbone of Chemistry as a Natural Science

Chemistry as a natural science occupies the length and temporal scales ranging between the formation of atoms and molecules as quasi-classical objects, and the formation of proto-life systems showing catalytic synthesis, replication, and the capacity for Darwinian evolution. The role of chiral dissymmetry in the chemical evolution toward life is manifested in how the increase of chemical complexity, from atoms and molecules to complex open systems, accompanies the emergence of biological homochirality toward life. Chemistry should express chirality not only as molecular structural dissymmetry that at the present is described in chemical curricula by quite effective pedagogical arguments, but also as a cosmological phenomenon. This relates to a necessarily better understanding of the boundaries of chemistry with physics and biology.

Bright-light detector control emulates the local bounds of Bell-type inequalities

It is well-known that no local model-in theory-can simulate the outcome statistics of a Bell-type experiment as long as the detection efficiency is higher than a threshold value. For the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) Bell inequality this theoretical threshold value is [Formula: see text]. On the other hand, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 170404 (2011) outlined an explicit practical model that can fake the CHSH inequality for a detection efficiency of up to 0.5. In this work, we close this gap. More specifically, we propose a method to emulate a Bell inequality at the threshold detection efficiency using existing optical detector control techniques. For a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality, it emulates the CHSH violation predicted by quantum mechanics up to [Formula: see text]. For the Garg-Mermin inequality-re-calibrated by incorporating non-detection events-our method emulates its exact local bound at any efficiency above the threshold. This confirms that attacks on secure quantum communication protocols based on Bell violation is a real threat if the detection efficiency loophole is not closed.

Entanglement: quantum or classical?

From its seemingly non-intuitive and puzzling nature, most evident in numerous EPR-like gedanken experiments to its almost ubiquitous presence in quantum technologies, entanglement is at the heart of modern quantum physics. First introduced by Erwin Schrödinger nearly a century ago, entanglement has remained one of the most fascinating ideas that came out of quantum mechanics. Here, we attempt to explain what makes entanglement fundamentally different from any classical phenomenon. To this end, we start with a historical overview of entanglement and discuss several hidden variables models that were conceived to provide a classical explanation and demystify quantum entanglement. We discuss some inequalities and bounds that are violated by quantum states thereby falsifying the existence of some of the classical hidden variables theories. We also discuss some exciting manifestations of entanglement, such as N00N states and the non-separable single particle states. We conclude by discussing some contemporary results regarding quantum correlations and present a future outlook for the research of quantum entanglement.

Quantum Correlations and Quantum Non-Locality: A Review and a Few New Ideas

In this paper we make an extensive description of quantum non-locality, one of the most intriguing and fascinating facets of quantum mechanics. After a general presentation of several studies on this subject dealing with different but connected facets of quantum non-locality, we consider if this, and the friction it carries with special relativity, can eventually find a “solution” by considering higher dimensional spaces.

Continuous-Variable Entanglement Test in Driven Quantum Contacts

The standard entanglement test using the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is known to fail in mesoscopic junctions at finite temperatures. Since this is due to the bidirectional particle flow, a similar failure is expected to occur in an ac-driven contact. We develop a continuous-variable entanglement test suitable for electrons and holes that are created by the ac drive. At low enough temperatures the generalized Bell inequality is violated in junctions with low conductance or a small number of transport channels and with ac voltages which create few electron-hole pairs per cycle. Our ac-entanglement test depends on the total number of electron-hole pairs and on the distribution of probabilities of pair creations similar to the Fano factor.

Bounding the Plausibility of Physical Theories in a Device-Independent Setting via Hypothesis Testing

The device-independent approach to physics is one where conclusions about physical systems (and hence of Nature) are drawn directly and solely from the observed correlations between measurement outcomes. This operational approach to physics arose as a byproduct of Bell's seminal work to distinguish, via a Bell test, quantum correlations from the set of correlations allowed by local-hidden-variable theories. In practice, since one can only perform a finite number of experimental trials, deciding whether an empirical observation is compatible with some class of physical theories will have to be carried out via the task of hypothesis testing. In this paper, we show that the prediction-based-ratio method-initially developed for performing a hypothesis test of local-hidden-variable theories-can equally well be applied to test many other classes of physical theories, such as those constrained only by the nonsignaling principle, and those that are constrained to produce any of the outer approximation to the quantum set of correlations due to Navascués-Pironio-Acín. We numerically simulate Bell tests using hypothetical nonlocal sources of correlations to illustrate the applicability of the method in both the independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) scenario and the non-i.i.d. scenario. As a further application, we demonstrate how this method allows us to unveil an apparent violation of the nonsignaling conditions in certain experimental data collected in a Bell test. This, in turn, highlights the importance of the randomization of measurement settings, as well as a consistency check of the nonsignaling conditions in a Bell test.

Efficient Quantum Teleportation of Unknown Qubit Based on DV-CV Interaction Mechanism

We propose and develop the theory of quantum teleportation of an unknown qubit based on the interaction mechanism between discrete-variable (DV) and continuous-variable (CV) states on highly transmissive beam splitter (HTBS). This DV-CV interaction mechanism is based on the simultaneous displacement of the DV state on equal in absolute value, but opposite in sign displacement amplitudes by coherent components of the hybrid in such a way that all the information about the displacement amplitudes is lost with subsequent registration of photons in the auxiliary modes. The relative phase of the displaced unknown qubit in the measurement number state basis can vary on opposite, depending on the parity of the basis states in the case of the negative amplitude of displacement that is akin to action of nonlinear effect on the teleported qubit. All measurement outcomes of the quantum teleportation are distinguishable, but the teleported state at Bob’s disposal may acquire a predetermined amplitude-distorting factor. Two methods of getting rid of the factors are considered. The quantum teleportation is considered in various interpretations. A method for increasing the efficiency of quantum teleportation of an unknown qubit is proposed.

Testing causal quantum theory

Causal quantum theory assumes that measurements or collapses are well-defined physical processes, localized in space-time, and never give perfectly reliable outcomes and that the outcome of one measurement only influences the outcomes of others within its future light cone. Although the theory has unusual properties, it is not immediately evident that it is inconsistent with experiment to date. I discuss its implications and experimental tests.

Optomechanical Bell Test

Over the past few decades, experimental tests of Bell-type inequalities have been at the forefront of understanding quantum mechanics and its implications. These strong bounds on specific measurements on a physical system originate from some of the most fundamental concepts of classical physics-in particular that properties of an object are well-defined independent of measurements (realism) and only affected by local interactions (locality). The violation of these bounds unambiguously shows that the measured system does not behave classically, void of any assumption on the validity of quantum theory. It has also found applications in quantum technologies for certifying the suitability of devices for generating quantum randomness, distributing secret keys and for quantum computing. Here we report on the violation of a Bell inequality involving a massive, macroscopic mechanical system. We create light-matter entanglement between the vibrational motion of two silicon optomechanical oscillators, each comprising approx. 10^{10} atoms, and two optical modes. This state allows us to violate a Bell inequality by more than 4 standard deviations, directly confirming the nonclassical behavior of our optomechanical system under the fair sampling assumption.

Evaluating the Maximal Violation of the Original Bell Inequality by Two-Qudit States Exhibiting Perfect Correlations/Anticorrelations

We introduce the general class of symmetric two-qubit states guaranteeing the perfect correlation or anticorrelation of Alice and Bob outcomes whenever some spin observable is measured at both sites. We prove that, for all states from this class, the maximal violation of the original Bell inequality is upper bounded by 32 and specify the two-qubit states where this quantum upper bound is attained. The case of two-qutrit states is more complicated. Here, for all two-qutrit states, we obtain the same upper bound 32 for violation of the original Bell inequality under Alice and Bob spin measurements, but we have not yet been able to show that this quantum upper bound is the least one. We discuss experimental consequences of our mathematical study.

Counterpropagating path-entangled photon pair sources based on simultaneous spontaneous parametric down-conversion processes of nonlinear photonic crystal

Ultra-bright source of entangled photons is an essential component in optical quantum information processing. Here we propose a counterpropagating path-entangled photon pair sources using a quasi-periodic modulated lithium niobate crystal. The nonlinear crystal designed by a dual-grid method, simultaneously phase-matched two spontaneous parametric down-conversion processes. Signal and idler modes have opposite propagation directions in the two spontaneous parametric down-conversion processes, which is the key to generating path-entangled photon pairs. Compared to copropagating entangled sources, the counterpropagating path-entangled sources result in a much narrower spectrum. The quantum state of the path-entanglement source is not only suited for quantum coding, but also to allow the implementation of complex quantum algorithms on a photonic chip.

Test of Local Realism into the Past without Detection and Locality Loopholes

Inspired by the recent remarkable progress in the experimental test of local realism, we report here such a test that achieves an efficiency greater than (78%)^{2} for entangled photon pairs separated by 183 m. Further utilizing the randomness in cosmic photons from pairs of stars on the opposite sides of the sky for the measurement setting choices, we not only close the locality and detection loopholes simultaneously, but also test the null hypothesis against local hidden variable mechanisms for events that took place 11 years ago (13 orders of magnitude longer than previous experiments). After considering the bias in measurement setting choices, we obtain an upper bound on the p value of 7.87×10^{-4}, which clearly indicates the rejection with high confidence of potential local hidden variable models. One may further push the time constraint on local hidden variable mechanisms deep into the cosmic history by taking advantage of the randomness in photon emissions from quasars with large aperture telescopes.

Cosmic Bell Test Using Random Measurement Settings from High-Redshift Quasars

In this Letter, we present a cosmic Bell experiment with polarization-entangled photons, in which measurement settings were determined based on real-time measurements of the wavelength of photons from high-redshift quasars, whose light was emitted billions of years ago; the experiment simultaneously ensures locality. Assuming fair sampling for all detected photons and that the wavelength of the quasar photons had not been selectively altered or previewed between emission and detection, we observe statistically significant violation of Bell's inequality by 9.3 standard deviations, corresponding to an estimated p value of ≲7.4×10^{-21}. This experiment pushes back to at least ∼7.8  Gyr ago the most recent time by which any local-realist influences could have exploited the "freedom-of-choice" loophole to engineer the observed Bell violation, excluding any such mechanism from 96% of the space-time volume of the past light cone of our experiment, extending from the big bang to today.

Machine Learning Detection of Bell Nonlocality in Quantum Many-Body Systems

Machine learning, the core of artificial intelligence and big data science, is one of today's most rapidly growing interdisciplinary fields. Recently, machine learning tools and techniques have been adopted to tackle intricate quantum many-body problems. In this Letter, we introduce machine learning techniques to the detection of quantum nonlocality in many-body systems, with a focus on the restricted-Boltzmann-machine (RBM) architecture. Using reinforcement learning, we demonstrate that RBM is capable of finding the maximum quantum violations of multipartite Bell inequalities with given measurement settings. Our results build a novel bridge between computer-science-based machine learning and quantum many-body nonlocality, which will benefit future studies in both areas.

Experimental simulation of monogamy relation between contextuality and nonlocality in classical light

The Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality and the Klyachko-Can-Binicioglu-Shumovski (KCBS) inequality present a tradeoff on the no-disturbance (ND) principle. Recently, the fundamental monogamy relation between contextuality and nonlocality in quantum theory has been demonstrated experimentally. Here we show that such a relation and tradeoff can also be simulated in classical optical systems. Using polarization, path and orbital angular momentum of the classical optical beam, in classical optical experiment we have observed the stringent monogamy relation between the two inequalities by implementing the projection measurement. Our results show the application prospect of the concepts developed recently in quantum information science to classical optical system and optical information processing.

Towards Experiments to Test Violation of the Original Bell Inequality

The aim of this paper is to attract the attention of experimenters to the original Bell (OB) inequality that was shadowed by the common consideration of the Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt (CHSH) inequality. There are two reasons to test the OB inequality and not the CHSH inequality. First of all, the OB inequality is a straightforward consequence to the Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR) argumentation. In addition, only this inequality is directly related to the EPR–Bohr debate. The second distinguishing feature of the OB inequality was emphasized by Itamar Pitowsky. He pointed out that the OB inequality provides a higher degree of violations of classicality than the CHSH inequality. For the CHSH inequality, the fraction of the quantum (Tsirelson) bound QCHSH=22 to the classical bound CCHSH=2, i.e., FCHSH=QCHSHCCHSH=2 is less than the fraction of the quantum bound for the OB inequality QOB=32 to the classical bound COB=1, i.e., FOB=QOBCOB=32. Thus, by violating the OB inequality, it is possible to approach a higher degree of deviation from classicality. The main problem is that the OB inequality is derived under the assumption of perfect (anti-) correlations. However, the last few years have been characterized by the amazing development of quantum technologies. Nowadays, there exist sources producing, with very high probability, the pairs of photons in the singlet state. Moreover, the efficiency of photon detectors was improved tremendously. In any event, one can start by proceeding with the fair sampling assumption. Another possibility is to use the scheme of the Hensen et al. experiment for entangled electrons. Here, the detection efficiency is very high.

Bell Inequality, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Steering, and Quantum Metrology with Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates

We propose an experiment, where the Bell inequality is violated in a many-body system of massive particles. The source of correlated atoms is a spinor F=1 Bose-Einstein condensate residing in an optical lattice. We characterize the complete procedure-the local operations, the measurements, and the inequality-necessary to run the Bell test. We show how the degree of violation of the Bell inequality depends on the strengths of the two-body correlations and on the number of scattered pairs. We show that the system can be used to demonstrate the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox. Also, the scattered pairs are an excellent many-body resource for the quantum-enhanced metrology. Our results apply to any multimode system where the spin-changing collision drives the scattering into separate regions. The presented inquiry shows that such a system is versatile as it can be used for the tests of nonlocality, quantum metrology, and quantum information.

Role of Particle Entanglement in the Violation of Bell Inequalities

Entanglement between two separate systems is a necessary resource to violate a Bell inequality in a test of local realism. We demonstrate that to overcome the Bell bound, this correlation must be accompanied by the entanglement between the constituent particles. This happens whenever a super-selection rule prohibits coherences between states with different total number of particles and thus imposes a constraint on feasible local operations in each sub-system. We show that the necessary entanglement between the particles might solely result from their indistinguishability. We also give an example of both mode and particle-entangled pure state, which does not violate any Bell inequality. Our result reveals a fundamental relation between the non-locality and the particle entanglement.

Spooky Action at a Temporal Distance

Since the discovery of Bell’s theorem, the physics community has come to take seriously the possibility that the universe might contain physical processes which are spatially nonlocal, but there has been no such revolution with regard to the possibility of temporally nonlocal processes. In this article, we argue that the assumption of temporal locality is actively limiting progress in the field of quantum foundations. We investigate the origins of the assumption, arguing that it has arisen for historical and pragmatic reasons rather than good scientific ones, then explain why temporal locality is in tension with relativity and review some recent results which cast doubt on its validity.

Can we close the Bohr-Einstein quantum debate?

Recent experiments allow one to conclude that Bell-type inequalities are indeed violated; thus, it is important to understand what this means and how we can explain the existence of strong correlations between outcomes of distant measurements. Do we have to announce that Einstein was wrong, Nature is non-local and non-local correlations are produced due to quantum magic and emerge, somehow, from outside space-time? Fortunately, such conclusions are unfounded because, if supplementary parameters describing measuring instruments are correctly incorporated in a theoretical model, then Bell-type inequalities may not be proved. We construct a simple probabilistic model allowing these correlations to be explained in a locally causal way. In our model, measurement outcomes are neither predetermined nor produced in an irreducibly random way. We explain why, contrary to the general belief, the introduction of setting-dependent parameters does not restrict experimenters' freedom of choice. Since the violation of Bell-type inequalities does not allow the conclusion that Nature is non-local and that quantum theory is complete, the Bohr-Einstein quantum debate may not be closed. The continuation of this debate is important not only for a better understanding of Nature but also for various practical applications of quantum phenomena.This article is part of the themed issue 'Second quantum revolution: foundational questions'.

Exercise redox biochemistry: Conceptual, methodological and technical recommendations

Exercise redox biochemistry is of considerable interest owing to its translational value in health and disease. However, unaddressed conceptual, methodological and technical issues complicate attempts to unravel how exercise alters redox homeostasis in health and disease. Conceptual issues relate to misunderstandings that arise when the chemical heterogeneity of redox biology is disregarded: which often complicates attempts to use redox-active compounds and assess redox signalling. Further, that oxidised macromolecule adduct levels reflect formation and repair is seldom considered. Methodological and technical issues relate to the use of out-dated assays and/or inappropriate sample preparation techniques that confound biochemical redox analysis. After considering each of the aforementioned issues, we outline how each issue can be resolved and provide a unifying set of recommendations. We specifically recommend that investigators: consider chemical heterogeneity, use redox-active compounds judiciously, abandon flawed assays, carefully prepare samples and assay buffers, consider repair/metabolism, use multiple biomarkers to assess oxidative damage and redox signalling.

Entanglement dynamics for two spins in an optical cavity - field interaction induced decoherence and coherence revival

We in this paper study quantum correlations for two neutral spin-particles coupled with a single-mode optical cavity through the usual magnetic interaction. Two-spin entangled states for both antiparallel and parallel spin-polarizations are generated under the photon coherent-state assumption. Based on the quantum master equation we derive the time-dependent quantum correlation of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) type explicitly in comparison with the well known entanglement-measure concurrence. In the two-spin singlet state, which is recognized as one eigenstate of the system, the CHSH correlation and concurrence remain in their maximum values invariant with time and independent of the average photon-numbers either. The correlation varies periodically with time in the general entangled-states for the low average photon-numbers. When the photon number increases to a certain value the oscillation becomes random and the correlations are suppressed below the Bell bound indicating the decoherence of the entangled states. In the high photon-number limit the coherence revivals periodically such that the CHSH correlation approaches the upper bound value at particular time points associated with the cavity-field period.

Event-Ready Bell Test Using Entangled Atoms Simultaneously Closing Detection and Locality Loopholes

An experimental test of Bell's inequality allows ruling out any local-realistic description of nature by measuring correlations between distant systems. While such tests are conceptually simple, there are strict requirements concerning the detection efficiency of the involved measurements, as well as the enforcement of spacelike separation between the measurement events. Only very recently could both loopholes be closed simultaneously. Here we present a statistically significant, event-ready Bell test based on combining heralded entanglement of atoms separated by 398 m with fast and efficient measurements of the atomic spin states closing essential loopholes. We obtain a violation with S=2.221±0.033 (compared to the maximal value of 2 achievable with models based on local hidden variables) which allows us to refute the hypothesis of local realism with a significance level P<2.57×10^{-9}.

Phase-Tuned Entangled State Generation between Distant Spin Qubits

Quantum entanglement between distant qubits is an important feature of quantum networks. Distribution of entanglement over long distances can be enabled through coherently interfacing qubit pairs via photonic channels. Here, we report the realization of optically generated quantum entanglement between electron spin qubits confined in two distant semiconductor quantum dots. The protocol relies on spin-photon entanglement in the trionic Λ system and quantum erasure of the Raman-photon path information. The measurement of a single Raman photon is used to project the spin qubits into a joint quantum state with an interferometrically stabilized and tunable relative phase. We report an average Bell-state fidelity for |ψ^{(+)}⟩ and |ψ^{(-)}⟩ states of 61.6±2.3% and a record-high entanglement generation rate of 7.3 kHz between distant qubits.

Chained Bell Inequality Experiment with High-Efficiency Measurements

We report correlation measurements on two ^{9}Be^{+} ions that violate a chained Bell inequality obeyed by any local-realistic theory. The correlations can be modeled as derived from a mixture of a local-realistic probabilistic distribution and a distribution that violates the inequality. A statistical framework is formulated to quantify the local-realistic fraction allowable in the observed distribution without the fair-sampling or independent-and-identical-distributions assumptions. We exclude models of our experiment whose local-realistic fraction is above 0.327 at the 95% confidence level. This bound is significantly lower than 0.586, the minimum fraction derived from a perfect Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality experiment. Furthermore, our data provide a device-independent certification of the deterministically created Bell states.

Certified randomness in quantum physics

The concept of randomness plays an important part in many disciplines. On the one hand, the question of whether random processes exist is fundamental for our understanding of nature. On the other, randomness is a resource for cryptography, algorithms and simulations. Standard methods for generating randomness rely on assumptions about the devices that are often not valid in practice. However, quantum technologies enable new methods for generating certified randomness, based on the violation of Bell inequalities. These methods are referred to as device-independent because they do not rely on any modelling of the devices. Here we review efforts to design device-independent randomness generators and the associated challenges.

Cosmic Bell Test: Measurement Settings from Milky Way Stars

Bell's theorem states that some predictions of quantum mechanics cannot be reproduced by a local-realist theory. That conflict is expressed by Bell's inequality, which is usually derived under the assumption that there are no statistical correlations between the choices of measurement settings and anything else that can causally affect the measurement outcomes. In previous experiments, this "freedom of choice" was addressed by ensuring that selection of measurement settings via conventional "quantum random number generators" was spacelike separated from the entangled particle creation. This, however, left open the possibility that an unknown cause affected both the setting choices and measurement outcomes as recently as mere microseconds before each experimental trial. Here we report on a new experimental test of Bell's inequality that, for the first time, uses distant astronomical sources as "cosmic setting generators." In our tests with polarization-entangled photons, measurement settings were chosen using real-time observations of Milky Way stars while simultaneously ensuring locality. Assuming fair sampling for all detected photons, and that each stellar photon's color was set at emission, we observe statistically significant ≳7.31σ and ≳11.93σ violations of Bell's inequality with estimated p values of ≲1.8×10^{-13} and ≲4.0×10^{-33}, respectively, thereby pushing back by ∼600  years the most recent time by which any local-realist influences could have engineered the observed Bell violation.

Experimental test of genuine multipartite nonlocality under the no-signalling principle

Genuine multipartite nonlocality (GMN) has been recognized as the strongest form of multipartite quantum correlation. However, there exist states that cannot violate the Svetlichny inequality derived from the standard definition of GMN, even though they possess GMN properties. The reason is that the standard definition of GMN allows correlations that permit signalling among parties, which is inconsistent with an operational definition. Here, for the first time, we present an experimental test of GMN in the no-signalling scenario, with a three-photon pure state |ψs〉 and a noisy W state. The experimental results show that these states cannot violate the Svetlichny inequality. However, our results also demonstrate that they do violate a new inequality derived from the definition of GMN based on the no-signalling principle, i.e., these states can exhibit GMN under the requirement of no-signalling. Our results will be useful for the study and applications of GMN in quantum communications and quantum computation.

Quantum entanglement: facts and fiction - how wrong was Einstein after all?

Einstein was wrong with his 1927 Solvay Conference claim that quantum mechanics is incomplete and incapable of describing diffraction of single particles. However, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox of entangled pairs of particles remains lurking with its 'spooky action at a distance'. In molecules quantum entanglement can be viewed as basis of both chemical bonding and excitonic states. The latter are important in many biophysical contexts and involve coupling between subsystems in which virtual excitations lead to eigenstates of the total Hamiltonian, but not for the separate subsystems. The author questions whether atomic or photonic systems may be probed to prove that particles or photons may stay entangled over large distances and display the immediate communication with each other that so concerned Einstein. A dissociating hydrogen molecule is taken as a model of a zero-spin entangled system whose angular momenta are in principle possible to probe for this purpose. In practice, however, spins randomize as a result of interactions with surrounding fields and matter. Similarly, no experiment seems yet to provide unambiguous evidence of remaining entanglement between single photons at large separations in absence of mutual interaction, or about immediate (superluminal) communication. This forces us to reflect again on what Einstein really had in mind with the paradox, viz. a probabilistic interpretation of a wave function for an ensemble of identically prepared states, rather than as a statement about single particles. Such a prepared state of many particles would lack properties of quantum entanglement that make it so special, including the uncertainty upon which safe quantum communication is assumed to rest. An example is Zewail's experiment showing visible resonance in the dissociation of a coherently vibrating ensemble of NaI molecules apparently violating the uncertainty principle. Einstein was wrong about diffracting single photons where space-like anti-bunching observations have proven recently their non-local character and how observation in one point can remotely affect the outcome in other points. By contrast, long range photon entanglement with immediate, superluminal response is still an elusive, possibly partly misunderstood issue. The author proposes that photons may entangle over large distances only if some interaction exists via fields that cannot propagate faster than the speed of light. An experiment to settle this 'interaction hypothesis' is suggested.

Loophole-free Bell test using electron spins in diamond: second experiment and additional analysis

The recently reported violation of a Bell inequality using entangled electronic spins in diamonds (Hensen et al., Nature 526, 682–686) provided the first loophole-free evidence against local-realist theories of nature. Here we report on data from a second Bell experiment using the same experimental setup with minor modifications. We find a violation of the CHSH-Bell inequality of 2.35 ± 0.18, in agreement with the first run, yielding an overall value of S = 2.38 ± 0.14. We calculate the resulting P-values of the second experiment and of the combined Bell tests. We provide an additional analysis of the distribution of settings choices recorded during the two tests, finding that the observed distributions are consistent with uniform settings for both tests. Finally, we analytically study the effect of particular models of random number generator (RNG) imperfection on our hypothesis test. We find that the winning probability per trial in the CHSH game can be bounded knowing only the mean of the RNG bias. This implies that our experimental result is robust for any model underlying the estimated average RNG bias, for random bits produced up to 690 ns too early by the random number generator.

Natural Framework for Device-Independent Quantification of Quantum Steerability, Measurement Incompatibility, and Self-Testing

We introduce the concept of assemblage moment matrices, i.e., a collection of matrices of expectation values, each associated with a conditional quantum state obtained in a steering experiment. We demonstrate how it can be used for quantum states and measurements characterization in a device-independent manner, i.e., without invoking any assumption about the measurement or the preparation device. Specifically, we show how the method can be used to lower bound the steerability of an underlying quantum state directly from the observed correlation between measurement outcomes. Combining such device-independent quantifications with earlier results established by Piani and Watrous [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 060404 (2015)], our approach immediately provides a device-independent lower bound on the generalized robustness of entanglement, as well as the usefulness of the underlying quantum state for a type of subchannel discrimination problem. In addition, by proving a quantitative relationship between steering robustness and the recently introduced incompatibility robustness, our approach also allows for a device-independent quantification of the incompatibility between various measurements performed in a Bell-type experiment. Explicit examples where such bounds provide a kind of self-testing of the performed measurements are provided.

Bell's inequality violation with spins in silicon

Bell's theorem proves the existence of entangled quantum states with no classical counterpart. An experimental violation of Bell's inequality demands simultaneously high fidelities in the preparation, manipulation and measurement of multipartite quantum entangled states, and provides a single-number benchmark for the performance of devices that use such states for quantum computing. We demonstrate a Bell/ Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality violation with Bell signals up to 2.70(9), using the electron and the nuclear spins of a single phosphorus atom embedded in a silicon nanoelectronic device. Two-qubit state tomography reveals that our prepared states match the target maximally entangled Bell states with >96% fidelity. These experiments demonstrate complete control of the two-qubit Hilbert space of a phosphorus atom and highlight the important function of the nuclear qubit to expand the computational basis and maximize the readout fidelity.

Hybrid quantum logic and a test of Bell's inequality using two different atomic isotopes

Entanglement is one of the most fundamental properties of quantum mechanics, and is the key resource for quantum information processing (QIP). Bipartite entangled states of identical particles have been generated and studied in several experiments, and post-selected or heralded entangled states involving pairs of photons, single photons and single atoms, or different nuclei in the solid state, have also been produced. Here we use a deterministic quantum logic gate to generate a 'hybrid' entangled state of two trapped-ion qubits held in different isotopes of calcium, perform full tomography of the state produced, and make a test of Bell's inequality with non-identical atoms. We use a laser-driven two-qubit gate, whose mechanism is insensitive to the qubits' energy splittings, to produce a maximally entangled state of one (40)Ca(+) qubit and one (43)Ca(+) qubit, held 3.5 micrometres apart in the same ion trap, with 99.8 ± 0.6 per cent fidelity. We test the CHSH (Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt) version of Bell's inequality for this novel entangled state and find that it is violated by 15 standard deviations; in this test, we close the detection loophole but not the locality loophole. Mixed-species quantum logic is a powerful technique for the construction of a quantum computer based on trapped ions, as it allows protection of memory qubits while other qubits undergo logic operations or are used as photonic interfaces to other processing units. The entangling gate mechanism used here can also be applied to qubits stored in different atomic elements; this would allow both memory and logic gate errors caused by photon scattering to be reduced below the levels required for fault-tolerant quantum error correction, which is an essential prerequisite for general-purpose quantum computing.

Experimental Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger-Type Six-Photon Quantum Nonlocality

Quantum nonlocality gives us deeper insight into quantum physics. In addition, quantum nonlocality has been further recognized as an essential resource for device-independent quantum information processing in recent years. Most experiments of nonlocality are performed using a photonic system. However, until now, photonic experiments of nonlocality have involved at most four photons. Here, for the first time, we experimentally demonstrate the six-photon quantum nonlocality in an all-versus-nothing manner based on a high-fidelity (88.4%) six-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state. Our experiment pushes multiphoton nonlocality studies forward to the six-photon region and might provide a larger photonic system for device-independent quantum information protocols.