Weakening the locality conditions in algebraic nonlocality proofs

Robert K. Clifton, Michael L. G. Redhead, Jeremy Butterfield

Robert K. Clifton, Michael L. G. Redhead, Jeremy Butterfield

Zeng‐Bing Chen, Sixia Yu, Zhang, Yong-De +1 more

Although entanglement is widely recognized as one of the most fascinating characteristics of quantum mechanics, nonlocality remains to be a big labyrinth. The proof of existence of nonlocality is as yet not much convincing because of its strong reliance on Bell's theorem where the assumption of realism weakens the proof. We demonstrate that entanglement and quantum nonlocality are two equivalent aspects of the same quantum wholeness for spacelike separated quantum systems. This result implies that quantum mechanics is indeed a nonlocal theory and lays foundation of understanding quantum nonlocality beyond Bell's theorem.

G. C. Ghirardi, Luca Marinatto

Henry Pierce Stapp

Technical aspects of a recently constructed strong version of Bell's theorem are discussed. The theorem assumes neither hidden variables nor factorization, and neither determinism nor counterfactual definiteness. It deals directly with logical connections. Hence its relationship with modal logic needs to be described. It is shown that the proof can be embedded in an orthodox modal logic, and hence its compatibility with modal logic assured, but that this embedding weakens the theorem by introducing as added assumptions the conventionalities of the particular modal logic that is adopted. This weakening is avoided in the recent proof by using directly the set-theoretic conditions entailed by the locality assumption.

G. C. Ghirardi, Luca Marinatto

We generalize Hardy's proof of nonlocality to the case of bipartite mixed statistical operators, and we exhibit a necessary condition which has to be satisfied by any given mixed state $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ in order that a local and realistic hidden variable model exists which accounts for the quantum mechanical predictions implied by $\ensuremath{\sigma}$. Failure of this condition will imply both the impossibility of any local explanation of certain joint probability distributions in terms of hidden variables and the nonseparability of the considered mixed statistical operator. Our result can be also used to determine the maximum amount of noise, arising from imperfect experimental implementations of the original Hardy's proof of nonlocality, in presence of which it is still possible to put into evidence the nonlocal features of certain mixed states.