In 1981 Mermin described a clever and simplified version of Bell’s theorem. He pointed out in a straightforward way that interpreting entanglement from a local realist point of view could be problematic. I propose an extended version of Mermin’s device that can be given a simple local realist interpretation by a sample selection bias. I argue that we still have no scientific reason to believe that the moon could not be there when nobody looks.
In 1981 Mermin described a clever and simplified version of Bell’s theorem. He pointed out in a straightforward way that interpreting entanglement from a local realist point of view could be problematic. I propose an extended version of Mermin’s device that can be given a simple local realist interpretation by a sample selection bias. I argue that we still have no scientific reason to believe that the moon could not be there when nobody looks.
Bell-CHSH inequalities are trivial algebraic properties satisfied by each line of Nx4 spreadsheets containing ±1 entries, thus it is surprising that their violation in some experiments allows to speculate about the existence of nonlocal influences in nature and casts doubt on the existence of external physical reality. Such speculations are rooted in incorrect interpretations of quantum mechanics and in a failure of local realistic hidden variable models to reproduce quantum predictions for spin polarisation correlation experiments (SPCE). In these models, one uses a counterfactual joint probability distribution of only pairwise measurable random variables (A, A’, B, B’) to prove Bell-CHSH inequalities. In SPCE Alice and Bob, using 4 incompatible pairs of experimental settings, estimate imperfect correlations between clicks registered by their detectors. Clicks announce detection of photons and are coded by ±1. Expectations of corresponding random variables: E (AB), E (AB’), E (A’B) and E (A’B’) are estimated and compared with quantum predictions. These estimates significantly violate CHSH inequalities. Since variables (A, A’) as well as (B, B’) cannot be measured jointly, neither Nx4 spreadsheets nor a joint probability distribution of (A, A’, B, B’) exist, thus Bell-CHSH inequalities may not be derived. Nevertheless, imperfect correlations between clicks in SPCE may be explained in a locally causal way, if contextual setting-dependent parameters describing measuring instruments are correctly included in the description. The violation of Bell-CHSH inequalities may not therefore justify the existence of a spooky action at the distance, super-determinism or speculations that an electron can be here and a meter away at the same time. In this paper we review and rephrase several arguments proving that such conclusions are unfounded. Entangled photon pairs cannot be described as pairs of socks nor as pairs of fair dice producing in each trial perfectly correlated outcomes. Thus the violation of inequalities confirms only that the measurement outcomes and `the fate of photons ` are not predetermined before the experiment is done. It does not allow for doubt regarding the objective existence of atoms, electrons and other invisible elementary particles which are the building blocks of the visible world around us including ourselves.
Quantum mechanics has predicted many counterintuitive phenomena in daily life, and has changed our view of the world. Among such predictions, the existence of a macroscopic object in superposition is especially unbelievable. As Einstein asked, "Do you really believe that the moon exists only when you look at it?". However, recent experimental results on a mesoscopic scale will ultimately require us to dismiss commonsense so-called macroscopic reality. Leggett and Garg applied the Bell scheme for testing local realism to the time evolution of a macroscopic two-state system, and proposed a temporal version of the Bell inequality (the Leggett-Garg (LG) inequality) for testing macroscopic realism. However, as with the Bell inequality, the statistical approach behind this scheme may be less effective in showing clear incompatibility. Here we propose a temporal version of the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) scheme without statistical treatment for testing Einstein's moon using three-time correlations.
In a recent preprint Gill and Lambare, criticize our paper published in Frontiers in Physics. Their criticism is unfounded and misleading. They define a probabilistic coupling, in which BI-CHSH hold for all finite samples. It does not mean, that BI-CHSH hold in our model, in which four incompatible experiments are described by setting dependent random variables implemented on 4 disjoint dedicated probability spaces. A joint probability distribution of these random variables does not exist and may not be used to derive inequalities. Moreover, their probabilistic coupling is useless, for a subsequent contextual model, which we construct to describe final data from Bell tests and to explain, in a locally causal way, the reported violations of inequalities and apparent violations of no-signaling. Neither quantum probabilistic model of an ideal EPRB experiment nor local realistic and stochastic hidden variable models may explain reported non-signaling Therefore; it is obvious that our model extends the set of probability distributions of possible measurements allowed in the standard hidden variable models. Gill and Lambare seem not understand , the main message of our paper, that the violation of BI-CHSH and Eberhard inequalities by finite samples in Bell Tests, no matter how well these tests are designed and performed, does not allow for doubt regarding the existence of objective external physical reality and causal locality in Nature. Our contextual model does not want to circumvent Bell Theorem. Therefore the title of Gill and Lambare paper and the conclusion: Kupczynski's escape route for local realism is not available are misleading and have nothing to do with the content and conclusions of our paper.
Summary form only given. In a Bell experiment, one prepares pairs of entangled particles and sends them to two observers, Alice and Bob, for measurement and detection [1]. For some choices of their measurement settings, Alice and Bob may observe strong correlations between their results in accordance with the predictions of quantum mechanical theory. Conversely, any physical theory that assumes no physical influence can be faster than the speed of light and that properties of physical systems are elements of reality [2] - a local realistic theory - can predict only a limited amount of correlation between Alice's and Bob's measurement outcomes. Upon observing correlations sufficient to violate Bell's inequality, Alice and Bob must abandon local realism.It is common that in an experiment, some particles emitted by the source will not be detected. Then the subset of detected particles might display correlations that violate the Bell inequality although the entire ensemble can be described by a local realistic theory [3]. To achieve a conclusive Bell violation without assuming that the detected particles are a “fair” sample, a highly efficient setup is necessary. Due to experimental limitations, fair sampling has been assumed in most Bell experiments performed to date, and it has never been possible to avoid this assumption with photons due to the absence of efficient sources and detectors. Here we report the first Bell experiment with photons that does not rely on any fair-sampling assumption. In our experiment we employ the Eberhard inequality, a Bell inequality that by construction does not rely on the fair-sampling assumption [4]. Our source of entangled photon pairs utilizes bulk-crystal spontaneous parametric downconversion in a Sagnac configuration, which has shown to be very efficient [5, 6]. For photon detection, we employ superconducting transition-edge sensors, which not only offer high efficiency but also are intrinsically free of dark counts [7]. This combination of features is imperative for an experiment in which no correction of count rates can be tolerated. We achieve uncorrected coupling efficiencies over 73% in each arm of our source, facilitating a violation of the inequality by nearly 70 standard deviations after five minutes of measurement. Since the first experimental Bell test, a satisfactory laboratory realization of the motivating gedankenexperiment has remained an outstanding challenge. The two other main assumptions include “locality” [8, 9] and “freedom of choice” [10]. Invoking any of these renders an experiment vulnerable to explanation by a local realistic theory. The realization of an experiment that is free of all three assumptions-a so-called loopholefree Bell test-remains an important outstanding goal for the physics community with strong implications for quantum technologies. We note that with our experiment, photons are the first physical system for which each of these three assumptions has been successfully addressed, albeit in different experiments. This represents promise for practical applications like one-sided device-independent quantum key distribution [11], and in an additional test, we also demonstrate that our experimental apparatus is capable of implementing this protocol on both sides.