© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:2309.06501 · Nature Communications

Nonlocality activation in a photonic quantum network

Luis Villegas-Aguilar, Emanuele Polino, Farzad Ghafari, Marco Túlio Quintino, Kiarn T. Laverick, Ian R. Berkman, Sven M. J. Rogge, Lynden K. Shalm, Nora Tischler, Eric G. Cavalcanti, Sergei Slussarenko, Geoff J. Pryde

Published Apr 10, 2024• 12 citations

Abstract

Bell nonlocality refers to correlations between two distant, entangled particles that challenge classical notions of local causality. Beyond its foundational significance, nonlocality is crucial for device-independent technologies like quantum key distribution and randomness generation. Nonlocality quickly deteriorates in the presence of noise, and restoring nonlocal correlations requires additional resources. These often come in the form of many instances of the input state and joint measurements, incurring a significant resource overhead. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that single copies of Bell-local states, incapable of violating any standard Bell inequality, can give rise to nonlocality after being embedded into a quantum network of multiple parties. We subject the initial entangled state to a quantum channel that broadcasts part of the state to two independent receivers and certify the nonlocality in the resulting network by violating a tailored Bell-like inequality. We obtain these results without making any assumptions about the prepared states, the quantum channel, or the validity of quantum theory. Our findings have fundamental implications for nonlocality and enable the practical use of nonlocal correlations in real-world applications, even in scenarios dominated by noise.

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47354-w

Related papers

Experimental activation of quantum nonlocality via a quantum network

Luis Villegas-Aguilar, Emanuele Polino, Sergei Slussarenko +7 more

Quantum nonlocality arising from entangled particles cannot be explained by any classical notion of local causality. In the standard Bell scenario with a source and two measurement stations, entangled states can lose their ability to exhibit nonlocality due to noisy conditions. Given the fundamental and technological significance of nonlocality and the fact that these noisy entangled states can naturally arise in practical situations, it is of utmost importance to unveil their nonlocality. Here, we demonstrate that nonlocal correlations can be generated from quantum states that cannot show nonlocality in bipartite Bell scenarios. We show how to robustly characterize these states and experimentally activate their nonlocality when embedded in a photonic network, by violating classical constraints in this quantum network. These results have implications in foundations of quantum nonlocality and direct applications to quantum technologies by significantly increasing the robustness of nonlocal correlations to noise.

Quantum Communications and Quantum Imaging•Oct 4, 2024•0 citations

Activation of nonlocality for Bell local states

Luis Villegas-Aguilar

Bell’s nonlocality—correlations between two distant, entangled particles that cannot be explained by physical theories based on local causality—remains one of the most celebrated results of quantum foundations. However, these nonlocal correlations eventually disappear under the presence of noise. In this experimental work, we show that nonlocality, inaccessible for noisy states in the two-party scenario, can be activated in a three-node photonic network structure with a single copy of the state. Our results open up new possibilities for network-based quantum information processing applications, central for the development of a future quantum internet.

Photonics for Quantum (PfQ)•Jul 19, 2023•0 citations

Experimental Quantum Triangle Network Nonlocality with an AlGaAs Multiplexed Entangled Photon Source

Othmane Meskine, Ivan Šupić, Damian Markham +8 more

The exploration of the concept of nonlocality beyond standard Bell scenarios in quantum network architectures unveils fundamentally new forms of correlations that hold a strong potential for future applications of quantum communication networks [1]. It is necessary to adapt theoretical advances to realistic configurations to materialize this potential. Here we consider a quantum triangle network, illustrated in Fig. 1, for which it was shown in theory that, remarkably, quantum nonlocality without inputs can be demonstrated for sources with an arbitrarily small level of independence [2]. We realize experimentally such correlated sources,$\rho_{AB}, \rho_{AC}$, and$\rho_{BC}$, by carefully engineering the output state of a single AlGaAs multiplexed entangled-photon source [3], exploiting energy-matched channels cut in its broad spectrum. This simulated triangle network is then used to violate a Bell-like inequality that we derive to capture the effect of noise in the correlations present in our system [4]. We also rigorously validate our findings by analyzing the mutual information between the generated states. Our results allow us to deepen our understanding of network nonlocality while also pushing its practical relevance for quantum communication networks.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 23, 2025•0 citations

Bell nonlocality and device-independent quantum information

Sachin .

Bell nonlocality is the experimentally testable incompatibility between quantum correlations and explanations based on local hidden variables. Its significance now extends beyond the foundations of quantum mechanics: a Bell-inequality violation can certify entanglement, randomness, measurement incompatibility, and cryptographic security without requiring a detailed model of the devices producing the observed data. This article develops the mathematical structure of Bell experiments and explains its role in device-independent quantum information. Conditional probability distributions are classified into local, quantum, and no-signalling sets; the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is derived, and its classical, quantum, and algebraic limits are distinguished. Tsirelson’s bound is obtained from the CHSH operator, while Popescu-Rohrlich correlations demonstrate that no-signalling alone does not identify the quantum set. The relation between entanglement and nonlocality is examined through local entangled states, hidden nonlocality, and activation. Nonlocal games, semidefinite relaxations, self-testing, certified randomness, and device-independent quantum key distribution are treated as operational consequences of Bell violation. Particular attention is given to entropy accumulation, finite-data security, loophole-free experiments, and the limitations of device independence. Bell nonlocality emerges as both a foundational separation between classical and quantum causal models and a quantitative resource for cryptographic and informational tasks.

International Journal of Physics and Mathematics•Jan 1, 2026•0 citations

Photonic quantum networks reveal the nonlocal nature of Bell-local states

Luis Villegas-Aguilar, Emanuele Polino, Farzad Ghafari +9 more

Bell nonlocality, a fundamental resource for device-independent technologies like quantum key distribution, is highly susceptible to noise. We experimentally demonstrate that single copies of Bell-local states exhibit nonlocality when integrated into a photonic quantum network.

Quantum 2.0 Conference and Exhibition•Jan 1, 2024•0 citations

Randomness versus Nonlocality in Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output Quantum Scenario

Chao Zhang, Yi Li, Xiao-Min Hu +7 more

Device-independent randomness certification based on Bell nonlocality does not require any assumptions about the devices, thus provides adequate security. Great effort has been made to demonstrate that nonlocality is necessary for generating quantum randomness, but the minimal resource required has not been clarified. Here we prove and experimentally demonstrate that violating any two-input Bell inequality is both necessary and sufficient for certifying randomness, however, for the multiple-input cases, this sufficiency ceases to apply, leading to certain states exhibiting Bell nonlocality without the capability to certify randomness. We examine two typical classes of Bell inequalities with multiple input and multiple output, the facet inequalities and Salavrakos-Augusiak-Tura-Wittek-Acín-Pironio inequalities, in the high-dimensional photonic system, and observe that the violation of the latter one can always certify randomness which is not true for the former. The private randomness with a generation rate of 1.867±0.018 bits per photon pair is obtained in the scenario of Salavrakos-Augusiak-Tura-Wittek-Acín-Pironio inequalities with 3-input and 4-output. Our Letter unravels the internal connection between randomness and nonlocality, effectively enhancing the performance of tasks such as device-independent random number generation.

arXiv:2408.04566•Physical Review Letters•Mar 3, 2025•6 citations

Bell nonlocality refers to correlations between two distant, entangled particles that challenge classical notions of local causality. Beyond its foundational significance, nonlocality is crucial for device-independent technologies like quantum key distribution and randomness generation. Nonlocality quickly deteriorates in the presence of noise, and restoring nonlocal correlations requires additional resources. These often come in the form of many instances of the input state and joint measurements, incurring a significant resource overhead. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that single copies of Bell-local states, incapable of violating any standard Bell inequality, can give rise to nonlocality after being embedded into a quantum network of multiple parties. We subject the initial entangled state to a quantum channel that broadcasts part of the state to two independent receivers and certify the nonlocality in the resulting network by violating a tailored Bell-like inequality. We obtain these results without making any assumptions about the prepared states, the quantum channel, or the validity of quantum theory. Our findings have fundamental implications for nonlocality and enable the practical use of nonlocal correlations in real-world applications, even in scenarios dominated by noise.

Quantum nonlocality arising from entangled particles cannot be explained by any classical notion of local causality. In the standard Bell scenario with a source and two measurement stations, entangled states can lose their ability to exhibit nonlocality due to noisy conditions. Given the fundamental and technological significance of nonlocality and the fact that these noisy entangled states can naturally arise in practical situations, it is of utmost importance to unveil their nonlocality. Here, we demonstrate that nonlocal correlations can be generated from quantum states that cannot show nonlocality in bipartite Bell scenarios. We show how to robustly characterize these states and experimentally activate their nonlocality when embedded in a photonic network, by violating classical constraints in this quantum network. These results have implications in foundations of quantum nonlocality and direct applications to quantum technologies by significantly increasing the robustness of nonlocal correlations to noise.

Bell’s nonlocality—correlations between two distant, entangled particles that cannot be explained by physical theories based on local causality—remains one of the most celebrated results of quantum foundations. However, these nonlocal correlations eventually disappear under the presence of noise. In this experimental work, we show that nonlocality, inaccessible for noisy states in the two-party scenario, can be activated in a three-node photonic network structure with a single copy of the state. Our results open up new possibilities for network-based quantum information processing applications, central for the development of a future quantum internet.

The exploration of the concept of nonlocality beyond standard Bell scenarios in quantum network architectures unveils fundamentally new forms of correlations that hold a strong potential for future applications of quantum communication networks [1]. It is necessary to adapt theoretical advances to realistic configurations to materialize this potential. Here we consider a quantum triangle network, illustrated in Fig. 1, for which it was shown in theory that, remarkably, quantum nonlocality without inputs can be demonstrated for sources with an arbitrarily small level of independence [2]. We realize experimentally such correlated sources,

\rho_{AB}, \rho_{AC}

, and

\rho_{BC}

, by carefully engineering the output state of a single AlGaAs multiplexed entangled-photon source [3], exploiting energy-matched channels cut in its broad spectrum. This simulated triangle network is then used to violate a Bell-like inequality that we derive to capture the effect of noise in the correlations present in our system [4]. We also rigorously validate our findings by analyzing the mutual information between the generated states. Our results allow us to deepen our understanding of network nonlocality while also pushing its practical relevance for quantum communication networks.

Bell nonlocality is the experimentally testable incompatibility between quantum correlations and explanations based on local hidden variables. Its significance now extends beyond the foundations of quantum mechanics: a Bell-inequality violation can certify entanglement, randomness, measurement incompatibility, and cryptographic security without requiring a detailed model of the devices producing the observed data. This article develops the mathematical structure of Bell experiments and explains its role in device-independent quantum information. Conditional probability distributions are classified into local, quantum, and no-signalling sets; the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality is derived, and its classical, quantum, and algebraic limits are distinguished. Tsirelson’s bound is obtained from the CHSH operator, while Popescu-Rohrlich correlations demonstrate that no-signalling alone does not identify the quantum set. The relation between entanglement and nonlocality is examined through local entangled states, hidden nonlocality, and activation. Nonlocal games, semidefinite relaxations, self-testing, certified randomness, and device-independent quantum key distribution are treated as operational consequences of Bell violation. Particular attention is given to entropy accumulation, finite-data security, loophole-free experiments, and the limitations of device independence. Bell nonlocality emerges as both a foundational separation between classical and quantum causal models and a quantitative resource for cryptographic and informational tasks.

Device-independent randomness certification based on Bell nonlocality does not require any assumptions about the devices, thus provides adequate security. Great effort has been made to demonstrate that nonlocality is necessary for generating quantum randomness, but the minimal resource required has not been clarified. Here we prove and experimentally demonstrate that violating any two-input Bell inequality is both necessary and sufficient for certifying randomness, however, for the multiple-input cases, this sufficiency ceases to apply, leading to certain states exhibiting Bell nonlocality without the capability to certify randomness. We examine two typical classes of Bell inequalities with multiple input and multiple output, the facet inequalities and Salavrakos-Augusiak-Tura-Wittek-Acín-Pironio inequalities, in the high-dimensional photonic system, and observe that the violation of the latter one can always certify randomness which is not true for the former. The private randomness with a generation rate of 1.867±0.018 bits per photon pair is obtained in the scenario of Salavrakos-Augusiak-Tura-Wittek-Acín-Pironio inequalities with 3-input and 4-output. Our Letter unravels the internal connection between randomness and nonlocality, effectively enhancing the performance of tasks such as device-independent random number generation.