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arXiv:quant-ph/9808008

Local, deterministic hidden variable theories based on a loophole in Bell's theorem

V. Z. Nuri

Published Aug 5, 1998• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

This paper furthers the long historical examination of and debate on the foundations of quantum mechanics (QM) by presenting two local hidden variable (LHV) rules in the context of the EPRB experiment which violate Bell's inequality, but which are nevertheless local and deterministic under reasonable definitions of the terms, and coincide approximately with the conventional QM prediction. The theories are based on the general idea of probabilistic detection of particles depending on an interaction of hidden variables within the measuring device and particle, and relate mathematically to Fourier analysis. The crucial discrepancy of variations in the hidden variable distribution based on relative polarizer orientations is isolated which invalidates assumptions in Bell-type theorems. The first theory can be analyzed completely symbolically whereas the second was analyzed using numerical methods. The properties of the second in particular are shown to be approximately consistent with the reported results and uncertainties in all three Aspect experiments. Variation in the total photon pairs detected over orientations is shown to be a basic characteristic of these theories. Some comments on the relevance of active vs. passive locality are made. Two sections consider these ideas relative to energy conservation and the measurement problem (collapse of the wavefunction). One section proposes new experiments.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.quant-ph/9808008

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This paper furthers the long historical examination of and debate on the foundations of quantum mechanics (QM) by presenting two local hidden variable (LHV) rules in the context of the EPRB experiment which violate Bell's inequality, but which are nevertheless local and deterministic under reasonable definitions of the terms, and coincide approximately with the conventional QM prediction. The theories are based on the general idea of probabilistic detection of particles depending on an interaction of hidden variables within the measuring device and particle, and relate mathematically to Fourier analysis. The crucial discrepancy of variations in the hidden variable distribution based on relative polarizer orientations is isolated which invalidates assumptions in Bell-type theorems. The first theory can be analyzed completely symbolically whereas the second was analyzed using numerical methods. The properties of the second in particular are shown to be approximately consistent with the reported results and uncertainties in all three Aspect experiments. Variation in the total photon pairs detected over orientations is shown to be a basic characteristic of these theories. Some comments on the relevance of active vs. passive locality are made. Two sections consider these ideas relative to energy conservation and the measurement problem (collapse of the wavefunction). One section proposes new experiments.
Bell's inequalities(1964) provides a quantitative criterion to test the local hidden variable theory(LHVT) versus quantum mechanics(QM).For the first time,it leads to the possibility to experimentally distinguish LHVT and QM.So far,there have been tens of experiments ever since the first experiment by Clauser et al(1972).An overwhelming majority of these experiments are in good agreement with the predictions of QM yet violate those of LHVT.Some loopholes in these experiments are discussed in Section I,followed by a respective summary to 12 experiments between 1972 to 1982 and 31 experiments from 1985 and on in Sections II and III.It is finally pointed out that so far there is not a single experiment to close both the locality loophole and the detection loophole at the same time,but the experimental outcomes are irreversible.Accordingly,theoretical physicists must admit that the present physics foundation is broken,i.e.quantum mechanics is contradiction with special relativity.
The Bell's inequality is thought to be a common constraint shared by all models of local hidden variables that aim to describe the entangled states of two qubits. Since the inequality is violated by the quantum mechanical description of these states, it purportedly allows distinguishing in an experimentally testable way the predictions of quantum mechanics from those of models of local hidden variables and, ultimately, ruling the latter out. In this paper, we show, however, that the models of local hidden variables constrained by the Bell's inequality all share a subtle, though crucial, feature that is not required by fundamental physical principles and, hence, it might not be fulfilled in the actual experimental setup that tests the inequality. Indeed, the disputed feature neither can be properly implemented within the standard framework of quantum mechanics and it is even at odds with the fundamental principle of relativity. Namely, the proof of the inequality requires the existence of a preferred absolute frame of reference (supposedly provided by the lab) with respect to which the hidden properties of the entangled particles and the orientations of each one of the measurement devices that test them can be independently defined through a long sequence of realizations of the experiment. We notice, however, that while the relative orientation between the two measurement devices is a properly defined physical magnitude in every single realization of the experiment, their global rigid orientation with respect to a lab frame is a spurious gauge degree of freedom. Following this observation, we were able to explicitly build a model of local hidden variables that does not share the disputed feature and, hence, it is able to reproduce the predictions of quantum mechanics for the entangled states of two qubits.
A local hidden-variable model is exhibited for the experiments by Aspect, Grangier, and Roger [Phys. Rev. Lett. 47, 460 (1981); 49, 91 (1982)] and Aspect, Dalibard, and Roger [Phys. Rev. Lett. 49, 1804 (1982)] measuring polarization correlation of optical-photon pairs. The model agrees with quantum-mechanical predictions for all measurable quantities even with ideal polarizers and detectors, and emphasizes the need of a high degree of directional correlation, besides the correlation of spin (or polarization or other quantities), in any test of locality. It is proved that homogeneous inequalities, involving only coincidence detection rates, cannot discriminate between quantum mechanics and local theories, which invalidates all previously used empirical tests. The role of supplementary assumptions, like the so-called no enhancement, for the derivation of Bell's inequalities is discussed. Finally it is conjectured that quantum mechanics might be compatible with local realism, if we assume that not all self-adjoint operators represent observables and not all density operators represent states.
Bell's inequality is widely regarded as the death knell of local hidden variable theories. However, this paper points out that Bell's argument implicitly relies on an overly narrow assumption about what constitutes a "local hidden variable"—namely, that hidden variables must assign measurement outcomes to each particle independently at the moment of measurement. This paper proposes that the deterministic correspondence established between entangled particles at the moment of their creation, and determined by initial conditions, can itself serve as a local hidden variable. As long as the polarization direction of the photons is not altered, this correspondence persists indefinitely. It is independent of whether a measurement is performed, and requires no superluminal communication to sustain. From this perspective, quantum entanglement experiments do not violate special relativity; the violation of Bell's inequality merely rules out a specific class of hidden variable models, not all forms of local realism.
The Bell inequality is thought to be a common constraint shared by all models of local hidden variables that aim to describe the entangled states of two qubits. Since the inequality is violated by the quantum mechanical description of these states, it purportedly allows distinguishing in an experimentally testable way the predictions of quantum mechanics from those of models of local hidden variables and, ultimately, ruling the latter out. In this paper, we show, however, that the models of local hidden variables constrained by the Bell inequality all share a subtle, though crucial, feature that is not required by fundamental physical principles and, hence, it might not be fulfilled in the actual experimental setup that tests the inequality. Indeed, the disputed feature neither can be properly implemented within the standard framework of quantum mechanics and it is even at odds with the fundamental principle of relativity. Namely, the proof of the inequality requires the existence of a preferred absolute frame of reference (supposedly provided by the lab) with respect to which the hidden properties of the entangled particles and the orientations of each one of the measurement devices that test them can be independently defined through a long sequence of realizations of the experiment. We notice, however, that while the relative orientation between the two measurement devices is a properly defined physical magnitude in every single realization of the experiment, their global rigid orientation with respect to a lab frame is a spurious gauge degree of freedom. Following this observation, we were able to explicitly build a model of local hidden variables that does not share the disputed feature and, hence, it is able to reproduce the predictions of quantum mechanics for the entangled states of two qubits.
It is shown that when properly analyzed using principles consistent with the use of a Hilbert space to describe microscopic properties, quantum mechanics is a local theory: one system cannot influence another system with which it does not interact. Claims to the contrary based on quantum violations of Bell inequalities are shown to be incorrect. A specific example traces a violation of the CHSH Bell inequality in the case of a spin-3/2 particle to the noncommutation of certain quantum operators in a situation where (non)locality is not an issue. A consistent histories analysis of what quantum measurements measure, in terms of quantum properties, is used to identify the basic problem with derivations of Bell inequalities: the use of classical concepts (hidden variables) rather than a probabilistic structure appropriate to the quantum domain. A difficulty with the original Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) argument for the incompleteness of quantum mechanics is the use of a counterfactual argument which is not valid if one assumes that Hilbert-space quantum mechanics is complete; locality is not an issue. The quantum correlations that violate Bell inequalities can be understood using local quantum common causes. Wavefunction collapse and Schr\odinger steering are calculational procedures, not physical processes. A general Principle of Einstein Locality rules out nonlocal influences between noninteracting quantum systems. Some suggestions are made for changes in terminology that could clarify discussions of quantum foundations and be less confusing to students.