Two central concepts of quantum mechanics are Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and a subtle form of nonlocality that Einstein famously called "spooky action at a distance." These two fundamental features have thus far been distinct concepts. We show that they are inextricably and quantitatively linked: Quantum mechanics cannot be more nonlocal with measurements that respect the uncertainty principle. In fact, the link between uncertainty and nonlocality holds for all physical theories. More specifically, the degree of nonlocality of any theory is determined by two factors: the strength of the uncertainty principle and the strength of a property called "steering," which determines which states can be prepared at one location given a measurement at another.
Two central concepts of quantum mechanics are Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and a subtle form of nonlocality that Einstein famously called "spooky action at a distance." These two fundamental features have thus far been distinct concepts. We show that they are inextricably and quantitatively linked: Quantum mechanics cannot be more nonlocal with measurements that respect the uncertainty principle. In fact, the link between uncertainty and nonlocality holds for all physical theories. More specifically, the degree of nonlocality of any theory is determined by two factors: the strength of the uncertainty principle and the strength of a property called "steering," which determines which states can be prepared at one location given a measurement at another.
The notion of nonlocality implicitly implies there might be some kind of spooky action at a distance in nature, however, the validity of quantum mechanics has been well tested up to now. In this work it is argued that the notion of nonlocality is physically improper, the basic principle of locality in nature is well respected by quantum mechanics, namely, the uncertainty principle. We show that the quantum bound on the Clauser, Horne, Shimony, and Holt (CHSH) inequality can be recovered from the uncertainty relation in a multipartite setting. We further argue that the super-quantum correlation demonstrated by the nonlocal box is not physically comparable with the quantum one. The origin of the quantum structure of nature still remains to be explained, some post-quantum theory which is more complete in some sense than quantum mechanics is possible and might not necessarily be a hidden variable theory.
One of the formulations of Heisenberg uncertainty principle, concerning so-called measurement uncertainty, states that the measurement of one observable modifies the statistics of the other. Here, we derive such a measurement uncertainty principle from two comprehensible assumptions: impossibility of instantaneous messaging at a distance (no-signaling), and violation of Bell inequalities (nonlocality). The uncertainty is established for a pair of observables of one of two spatially separated systems that exhibit nonlocal correlations. To this end, we introduce a gentle form of measurement which acquires partial information about one of the observables. We then bound disturbance of the remaining observables by the amount of information gained from the gentle measurement, minus a correction depending on the degree of nonlocality. The obtained quantitative expression resembles the quantum mechanical formulations, yet it is derived without the quantum formalism and complements the known qualitative effect of disturbance implied by nonlocality and no-signaling.
Two of the most intriguing features of quantum physics are the uncertainty principle and the occurrence of non-local correlations. The uncertainty principle states that there exist pairs of non-compatible measurements on quantum systems such that their outcomes cannot be simultaneously predicted by any observer. Non-local correlations of measurement outcomes at different locations cannot be explained by classical physics, but appear in quantum mechanics in the presence of entanglement. Here, we show that these two essential properties of quantum mechanics are quantitatively related. Namely, we provide an entropic uncertainty relation that gives a lower bound on the uncertainty of the binary outcomes of two measurements in terms of the maximum Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt value that can be achieved using the same measurements. We discuss an application of this uncertainty relation to certify a quantum source using untrusted devices.
The paper demonstrates that the non-locality and non-reality of the quantum world are \ndirect consequences of the concept of uncertainty. It is also shown that the analysis of \nstates in the phase space entails the operator formalism of wave mechanics. While being \nwell known that the uncertainty principle is a consequence of the commutation rules of \noperators, the paper shows that the reverse path is also possible; i.e. the uncertainty \nequations entails themselves the operators and wave equations of energy and momen- \ntum. The same theoretical approach has been eventually extended to infer significant \nresults of the special relativity.
Einstein became bothered by quantum mechanical action at a distance within two years of Schrödinger's introduction of his eponymous wave equation. If the wave function represents the "real" physical state of a particle, then the measurement of the particle's position would result in the instantaneous collapse of the wave function to the single, measured position. Such a process seemingly violates not only the Schrödinger equation but also special relativity. Einstein was not alone in this vexation; however, the dilemma eventually faded as physicists concentrated on using the Schrödinger equation to solve a plethora of pressing problems. For the next 30 years, wave function collapse, while occasionally discussed by physicists, was primarily a topic of interest for philosophers. That is, until 1964, when Bell introduced his famous inequality and maintained that its violation proved that quantum mechanics and, by implication, nature herself are nonlocal. Unfortunately, this brought the topic back to mainstream physics, where it has remained and continues to muddy the waters. To be sure, not all physicists are bothered by the apparent nonlocality of quantum mechanics. So where have those who embrace quantum nonlocality gone wrong? I argue that the answer is a gratuitous belief in the ontic nature of the quantum state.
This book presents the current views of leading physicists on the bizarre property of quantum theory: nonlocality. Einstein viewed this theory as “spooky action at a distance” which, together with randomness, resulted in him being unable to accept quantum theory. The contributions in the book describe, in detail, the bizarre aspects of nonlocality, such as Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen steering and quantum teleportation—a phenomenon which cannot be explained in the framework of classical physics, due its foundations in quantum entanglement. The contributions describe the role of nonlocality in the rapidly developing field of quantum information. Nonlocal quantum effects in various systems, from solid-state quantum devices to organic molecules in proteins, are discussed. The most surprising papers in this book challenge the concept of the nonlocality of Nature, and look for possible modifications, extensions, and new formulations—from retrocausality to novel types of multiple-world theories. These attempts have not yet been fully successful, but they provide hope for modifying quantum theory according to Einstein’s vision.