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arXiv:1812.06057 · Physical Review A

Geometry of the quantum set on no-signaling faces

Ashutosh Rai, Cristhiano Duarte, Samuraí Brito, Rafael Chaves

Published Mar 11, 2019• 22 citations
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Abstract

Since Bell's theorem we know that quantum mechanics is incompatible with local hidden-variable models, the phenomenon known as quantum nonlocality. However, despite steady progress over the years, a precise characterization of the set of quantum correlations has remained elusive. There are correlations compatible with the no-signaling principle and still beyond what can be achieved within quantum theory, which has motivated the search for physical principles and computational methods to decide the quantum or postquantum behavior of correlations. Here, we identify a feature of Bell correlations that we call quantum voids: faces of the no-signaling set where all nonlocal correlations are postquantum. Considering the simplest possible Bell scenario, we give a full characterization of quantum voids, also understanding its connections to known principles and its potential use as a dimension witness.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.99.032106

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Since Bell's theorem we know that quantum mechanics is incompatible with local hidden-variable models, the phenomenon known as quantum nonlocality. However, despite steady progress over the years, a precise characterization of the set of quantum correlations has remained elusive. There are correlations compatible with the no-signaling principle and still beyond what can be achieved within quantum theory, which has motivated the search for physical principles and computational methods to decide the quantum or postquantum behavior of correlations. Here, we identify a feature of Bell correlations that we call quantum voids: faces of the no-signaling set where all nonlocal correlations are postquantum. Considering the simplest possible Bell scenario, we give a full characterization of quantum voids, also understanding its connections to known principles and its potential use as a dimension witness.
Since Bell's theorem we know that quantum mechanics is incompatible with local hidden variable models, the phenomenon known as quantum nonlocality. However, in spite of steady progress over years, the precise characterization of the set of quantum correlations has remained an elusive quest. There are correlations compatible with the no-signaling principle and still beyond what can be achieved within quantum theory, what has motivated the search for physical principles and computational methods to decide the quantum or post-quantum behavior of correlations. Here we identify a yet new feature of Bell correlations that we call quantum voids: faces of the no-signaling set where all nonlocal correlations are postquantum. Considering the simplest possible Bell scenario we give a full characterization of quantum voids, also understanding its connections to known principles and its potential use as a dimension witness.
Bell nonlocality places the long-standing philosophical disputes over the nature of quantum theory on a mathematically rigorous, experimentally testable footing, positioning quantum mechanics between local realism and the most general no-signaling theories. Yet the precise quantum boundary has remained elusive even in the minimal Bell scenario, where the extreme points generating the set are known. Here we characterize this boundary through a computable necessary and sufficient criterion: a correlation is quantum if and only if it can be decomposed into an extreme quantum correlation and a classical correlation. The criterion follows from our proof that every Bell functional exhibiting quantum advantage admits a unique quantum maximizer. We further classify the finitely many maximal-face structures containing each nonlocal exposed point according to their local deterministic vertices. By sharply distinguishing physically realizable correlations from nonphysical ones, these results resolve a long-standing open problem and provide a new foundation for identifying the principles underlying quantum theory and determining the ultimate information-theoretic limits of quantum correlations.
Bell's theorem shows that local measurements on entangled states give rise to correlations incompatible with local-hidden-variable models. The degree of quantum nonlocality is not maximal though, as there are even more nonlocal theories beyond quantum theory still compatible with the nonsignaling principle. In spite of decades of research, we still have a very fragmented picture of the whole geometry of these different sets of correlations. Here we employ both analytical and numerical tools to ameliorate that. First, we identify two different classes of Bell scenarios where the nonsignaling correlations can behave very differently: In one case, the correlations are generically quantum and nonlocal while in the other quite the opposite happens as the correlations are generically classical and local. Second, by randomly sampling over nonsignaling correlations, we compute the distribution of a nonlocality quantifier based on the trace distance to the local set. With that we conclude that the nonlocal correlations can show a concentration phenomenon: Their distribution is peaked at a distance from the local set that increases both with the number of parts or measurements being performed.
In device-independent quantum information, correlations between local measurement outcomes observed by spatially separated parties in a Bell test play a fundamental role. Even though it is long-known that the set of correlations allowed in quantum theory lies strictly between the Bell-local set and the no-signaling set, many questions concerning the geometry of the quantum set remain unanswered. Here, we revisit the problem of when the boundary of the quantum set coincides with the no-signaling set in the simplest Bell scenario. In particular, for each Class of these common boundaries containing k zero probabilities, we provide a (5−k) -parameter family of quantum strategies realizing these (extremal) correlations. We further prove that self-testing is possible in all nontrivial Classes beyond the known examples of Hardy-type correlations, and provide numerical evidence supporting the robustness of these self-testing results. Candidates of one-parameter families of self-testing correlations from some of these Classes are identified. As a byproduct of our investigation, if the qubit strategies leading to an extremal nonlocal correlation are local-unitarily equivalent, a self-testing statement provably follows. Interestingly, all these self-testing correlations found on the no-signaling boundary are provably non-exposed. An analogous characterization for the set M of quantum correlations arising from finite-dimensional maximally entangled states is also provided. En route to establishing this last result, we show that all correlations of M in the simplest Bell scenario are attainable as convex combinations of those achievable using a Bell pair and projective measurements. In turn, we obtain the maximal Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt Bell inequality violation by any maximally entangled two-qudit state and a no-go theorem regarding the self-testing of such states.
Extremal non-signaling (ENS) boxes are correlations that correspond to vertices of the non-signaling polytope of a Bell scenario. Neither quantum theory nor any theory for ideal measurements allows for ENS boxes. That is, according to quantum theory, ENS boxes are nonphysical. Still, ENS boxes are crucial for addressing a number of problems in Bell nonlocality. Here, we obtain ENS boxes in arbitrary bipartite Bell scenarios and present the complete list of ENS boxes for several unexplored scenarios. Equipped with the boxes, we revisit several foundational questions. We find that already two copies of any ENS box violate the exclusivity (or local orthogonality) and Specker's principles. We provide the minimal decomposition of the magic square correlation - the simplest known perfect correlation in nature - in terms of ENS boxes. We identify the minimal scenario in which a dit of communication (with d < 6) is insufficient to simulate ENS boxes. Our results show that the ENS boxes approach leads to new results and opens new avenues for research.
The study of stronger-than-quantum phenomena (i.e., postquantum) has enabled a deeper understanding of the scope of quantum theory. Much is known about the case of correlations in Bell scenarios, where the device-independent framework allowed us to explore its possibilities independently of the formalism of quantum theory. However, less is known about the phenomenon of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering. Here, the `characterised parties' are assumed to describe their systems locally through the quantum formalism, which inconveniences a theory-independent description. In addition, a theorem by Gisin and Hughston, Josza and Wootters further hindered the discovery of the phenomenon. The study of postquantum steering, initiated about a decade ago, has been quite fruitful, including: the development of mathematical formalisms that frame the effect, resource theories that quantify it as a resource, and activation protocols that relate it to Bell correlations. However, all these results have a limitation in common: they apply to scenarios with only one quantum party. Here we articulate the concept of postquantum steering for scenarios with multiple quantum parties, bringing in the missing piece to the puzzle. We provide an algorithm to certify postquantumness, which in some cases also certifies quantumness. We also define a hierarchy of semidefinite programs that bounds the set of quantum assemblages from the outside. Moreover, we show that the study of postquantum steering is fundamentally relevant since it is not just a mere mathematical curiosity allowed by the no-signalling principle, but it may arise within compositional theories beyond quantum theory. Our work further discovers a peculiarity of steering: its theory-independent description fundamentally prevents a direct connection with Bell nonlocality -- e.g., nonclassical Bell correlations do not imply nonclassical steering.