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Quantum mechanics v. local realism

Alastair I. M. Rae

Published Apr 1, 1989• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The latest experiment to test the predictions of quantum mechanics about the properties of photons has been carried out by an international group of scientists based at the University of Stirling (Haji-Hassan et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 62 237). By observing a source which emits pairs of photons 'back to back' using a battery of three linear polarisers (rather than the two which have been conventionally employed in previous experiments of this kind) the experimenters have been able to test a class of 'local realistic' theories which have been suggested as alternatives to quantum mechanics. The results of their measurements are in excellent agreement with the quantum predictions and render even more difficult the task of constructing a more realistic theory.

DOI
10.1088/2058-7058/2/4/14

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The latest experiment to test the predictions of quantum mechanics about the properties of photons has been carried out by an international group of scientists based at the University of Stirling (Haji-Hassan et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 62 237). By observing a source which emits pairs of photons 'back to back' using a battery of three linear polarisers (rather than the two which have been conventionally employed in previous experiments of this kind) the experimenters have been able to test a class of 'local realistic' theories which have been suggested as alternatives to quantum mechanics. The results of their measurements are in excellent agreement with the quantum predictions and render even more difficult the task of constructing a more realistic theory.
Quantum mechanics is strictly incompatible with local realism. It has been shown by Bell and others that it is possible, in principle, to experimentally differentiate between local realism and quantum mechanics. Numerous experiments have attempted to falsify local realism; however, they have consistently failed to close the detection loophole under strict locality conditions, thereby allowing local realistic explanations for their observations. In 2015, three experiments took place that tested local realism without the impediments of these significant loopholes. Between these three experiments, a substantial data set was collected. All of the collected data show a strong violation of local realism and strong support for quantum mechanics. This article reviews the theoretical basis of Bell tests and the affiliated loopholes, as well as the methods employed by these recent experiments and the implications of the results they observed. La mécanique quantique est strictement incompatible avec le réalisme local. Bell et d’autres scientifiques ont montré qu’il est possible, en théorie, de trouver la différence entre le réalisme local et la mécanique quantique expérimentalement. De nombreuses expériences ont tenté de falsifier le réalisme local; cependant, elles ont toujours échoué à combler la faille de détection dans des conditions de localité strictes, permettant ainsi des explications réalistes locales pour leurs observations. En 2015, trois expériences ont testé le réalisme local sans les entraves de ces failles importantes. Entre ces trois expériences, des données substantielles ont été recueillies. Toutes les données recueillies ont montré une forte déviation du réalisme local et un appui solid pour la mécanique quantique. Cet article examine les bases théoriques des tests de Bell et les failles af liées, ainsi que les méthodes employées par ces expériences récentes et les implications de leurs résultats.
Measurements have been made of the polarization properties of the two photons emitted in the decay of metastable atomic deuterium in an experiment in which three linear polarizers, instead of the normal two, are used. The quantum-mechanical predictions for these imperfect polarizers have been calculated and shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The results have also been used to test local realistic models which are capable of explaining all existing two-polarizer-type experiments, and have provided conclusive evidence against these theories.