This paper identifies inconsistencies between the expression for the Kolmogorov expectation value of the product of two discrete random variables A(A), B (B.) and the incorporation of such expectation values in Bell-type inequalities. Calculations related to Bell and Horne-Clauser-Shinomy-Holt inequalities are included.
It is well-known that no local model-in theory-can simulate the outcome statistics of a Bell-type experiment as long as the detection efficiency is higher than a threshold value. For the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) Bell inequality this theoretical threshold value is [Formula: see text]. On the other hand, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 170404 (2011) outlined an explicit practical model that can fake the CHSH inequality for a detection efficiency of up to 0.5. In this work, we close this gap. More specifically, we propose a method to emulate a Bell inequality at the threshold detection efficiency using existing optical detector control techniques. For a Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality, it emulates the CHSH violation predicted by quantum mechanics up to [Formula: see text]. For the Garg-Mermin inequality-re-calibrated by incorporating non-detection events-our method emulates its exact local bound at any efficiency above the threshold. This confirms that attacks on secure quantum communication protocols based on Bell violation is a real threat if the detection efficiency loophole is not closed.
Among the various "no-go theorems" in the foundations of quantum mechanics, Bell inequalities are among the few, which do not implicitly rely on the mathematical structure of quantum mechanics. Instead, Bell inequalities are commonly understood to rest on Kolmogorov's theory of probability and a "locality" assumption. Physical evidence supporting their violation is hence taken as evidence against at least one of these two assumptions.
This work provides a comprehensive analysis of the physical debate on Bell inequalities from the point of view of Kolmogorov's theory of probability, focusing on the Bell-Clauser-Horn-Shimony-Holt inequality (BCHSH inequality). The central contribution is the motivation and mathematical study of the notion of contextuality in Bell experiments: in so-called contextual Bell models the detectors themselves behave randomly and the distribution of the random detector parameters depends on the chosen detector settings. It is shown how even "classical" Bell experiments motivate such a description. The need to account for contextuality was pointed out before by de la Peña, Cetto, Brody, Lochak, Bohm, Hiley and others. A broad class of contextual models is proven to satisfy the BCHSH inequality, thereby generalizing a previous result by Gill and Lambare. Nonetheless, even under strong locality requirements, contextual Bell models may violate the BCHSH inequality: based on work by Popescu and Rohrlich, we consider a "proof of concept" example exhibiting the maximum possible violation.
Contrary to the much debated "loopholes" in empirical tests of Bell inequalities, contextuality thus reveals a conceptual misunderstanding in the physical conclusions commonly drawn from Bell inequality violations.
The Bell--Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (BCHSH) inequality (in terms of correlation functions) of two qutrits is studied in detail by employing tritter measurements. A uniform formula for the maximum value of this inequality for tritter measurements is obtained. Based on this formula, we show that nonmaximally entangled states violate the BCHSH inequality more strongly than the maximally entangled one. This result is consistent with what was obtained by Ac\'{\i}n et al. [Phys. Rev. A 65, 052325 (2002)] using the Bell--Clauser-Horne inequality (in terms of probabilities).