Loophole-free Bell test using electron spins in diamond: second experiment and additional analysis
Bas Hensen, Norbert Kalb, Machiel Blok, A. Dréau, Andreas Reiserer, R. F. L. Vermeulen, Raymond N. Schouten, Matthew Markham, Daniel J. Twitchen, Kenneth Goodenough, David Elkouss, Stephanie Wehner, T. H. Taminiau, Ronald Hanson
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.
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.
This article develops an expanded critical-propositional analysis of B. Hensen et al.’s 2015 experiment, “Loophole-free Bell inequality violation using electron spins separated by 1.3 kilometres,” published in Nature, in systematic dialogue with the Theory of Objectivity (TO) developed by Vidamor Cabannas and Denivaldo Silva. Hensen et al. implemented an event-ready Bell experiment using electron spins associated with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, spatially separated by approximately 1.3 km. Remote spin entanglement was heralded through optical interference and photon detection at an intermediate station. Efficient spin readout addressed the detection loophole, while rapid random basis selection, spacelike separation, and controlled timing addressed the locality loophole. Across 245 valid trials, the experiment obtained a CHSH parameter S = 2.42 ± 0.20, exceeding the local-realistic bound S ≤ 2, with a reported null-hypothesis probability p ≤ 0.039 under the statistical assumptions adopted by the authors (Hensen et al., 2015). The experiment is especially relevant to the TO because it combines individuality of physical systems, magnetic spin degrees of freedom, electromagnetic manipulation, atomic-scale radiation, physically encoded information, boundaries, interfaces, non- anthropocentric measurement, relationality, and long-distance quantum correlations within one experimental architecture. The analysis therefore investigates possible compatibility between Hensen et al. and the Seven Absolute Truths of the TO, with particular attention to Absolute Truth Two, concerning the individualizing field of every element; Absolute Truth Five, according to which an element requires observation or frequency relation with at least two other elements for logical existence; and Absolute Truth Seven, here interpreted through the TO proposition that the transcendent element consists of knowledge or information produced in atomic relations and is equivalent to atomic radiation. The analysis finds substantial conceptual and operational compatibility, especially regarding non-anthropocentric observation, relational constitution, information-bearing radiation, physical boundaries, and the inadequacy of a naive ontology of mutually independent local properties. However, the Hensen experiment does not establish the modal necessity of the TO axioms, does not demonstrate that every existing element possesses the unique magnetic field specified by Absolute Truth Two, does not prove the exact two-observer structure claimed by Absolute Truth Five, and does not establish an ontological identity between information and radiation. Moreover, any formulation of the TO that attempted to reproduce Bell correlations through purely local, predetermined hidden variables satisfying Bell factorability would face direct experimental tension. The article consequently proposes a methodological distinction between modal necessity, ontological interpretation, operational bridge, quantitative prediction, and empirical corroboration. It further proposes a Bell–TO research program in which the individual fields, Inducing Effects, relational observation, and transcendent informational element of the TO would be assigned explicit mathematical variables from which a predicted CHSH parameter STO could be derived. Such formalization would move the relation between Bell physics and the TO from philosophical compatibility toward genuine empirical discrimination. Keywords: Theory of Objectivity; Bell inequality; Hensen experiment; quantum nonlocality; electron spin; entanglement; relational ontology; information; atomic radiation; modal necessity; objectivity; CHSH; empirical corroboration.
So far, all experimental tests of Bell inequalities which must be satisfied by all local realistic hidden-variable theories and are violated by quantum mechanical predictions have left at least one loophole open. We propose a feasible setup allowing for a loophole-free test of the Bell inequalities. Two electron spin qubits of donors31P in a nanoscale silicon host in different cavities 300 m apart are entangled through a bright coherent light and postselections using homodyne measurements. The electron spins are then read out randomly and independently by Alice and Bob, respectively, with unity efficiency in less than 0.7 µs by using optically induced spin to charge transduction detected by radio-frequency single electron transistor. A violation of Bell inequality larger than 37% and 18% is achievable provided that the detection accuracy is 0.99 and 0.95, respectively.
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 Q CHSH = 2 2 to the classical bound C CHSH = 2 , i.e., F CHSH = Q CHSH C CHSH = 2 is less than the fraction of the quantum bound for the OB inequality Q OB = 3 2 to the classical bound C OB = 1 , i.e., F OB = Q OB C OB = 3 2 . 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.
We present a loophole-free violation of local realism using entangled photon pairs. We ensure that all relevant events in our Bell test are spacelike separated by placing the parties far enough apart and by using fast random number generators and high-speed polarization measurements. A high-quality polarization-entangled source of photons, combined with high-efficiency, low-noise, single-photon detectors, allows us to make measurements without requiring any fair-sampling assumptions. Using a hypothesis test, we compute p values as small as 5.9×10^{-9} for our Bell violation while maintaining the spacelike separation of our events. We estimate the degree to which a local realistic system could predict our measurement choices. Accounting for this predictability, our smallest adjusted p value is 2.3×10^{-7}. We therefore reject the hypothesis that local realism governs our experiment.
John Bell’s theorem of 1964 states that local elements of physical reality, existing independent of measurement, are inconsistent with the predictions of quantum mechanics (Bell, J. S. (1964), Physics (College. Park. Md). Specifically, correlations between measurement results from distant entangled systems would be smaller than predicted by quantum physics. This is expressed in Bell’s inequalities. Employing modifications of Bell’s inequalities, many experiments have been performed that convincingly support the quantum predictions. Yet, all experiments rely on assumptions, which provide loopholes for a local realist explanation of the measurement. Here we report an experiment with polarization-entangled photons that simultaneously closes the most significant of these loopholes. We use a highly efficient source of entangled photons, distributed these over a distance of 58.5 meters, and implemented rapid random setting generation and high-efficiency detection to observe a violation of a Bell inequality with high statistical significance. The merely statistical probability of our results to occur under local realism is less than 3.74×10-31, corresponding to an 11.5 standard deviation effect.
Clauser-Horne (CH) inequality, Eberhard inequality, and Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality are used to determine whether quantum entanglement can contradict local realism. However, the loophole is known to allow local realism to violate these inequalities if a sample size is small and not enough [1]. Remarkably though, this paper shows that this loophole can still cause a violation in these inequalities even with a very large sample size, e.g. a 2.4 sigma violation of CH inequality and Eberhard inequality was achieved despite 12,000,000 total trials in a Monte Carlo simulation of a local realist photonic experiment based on Malus' law. In addition, this paper shows how Eberhard inequality is especially vulnerable to this loophole when combined with an improper statistical analysis and incorrect singles counts, e.g. a 13.0 sigma violation was achieved with the same large sample size, and furthermore, a 26.6 sigma violation was produced when a small, acceptable 0.2% production rate loophole was applied. Supplementally, this paper demonstrates how the finite statistics loophole allows a bigger violation in a smaller sample size despite the sample size being enough, e.g. a CHSH violation of 4.4 sigma (2.43 +/- 0.10) was achieved with 280 total trials, and 4.0 sigma (2.16 +/- 0.04) with 3,000 total trials. This paper introduces the aforementioned loopholes as plausible local realist explanations to two observed violations reported by Giustina, et al. [2], and Hensen, et al. [3].