Ladder proof of nonlocality for two spin-half particles revisited

In this paper we extend the ladder proof of nonlocality without inequalities for two spin-half particles given by Boschi et al [PRL 79, 2755 (1997)] to the case in which the measurement settings of the apparatus measuring one of the particles are different from the measurement settings of the apparatus measuring the other particle. It is shown that, in any case, the proportion of particle pairs for which the contradiction with local realism goes through is maximized when the measurement settings are the same for each apparatus. Also we write down a Bell inequality for the experiment in question which is violated by quantum mechanics by an amount which is twice as much as the amount by which quantum mechanics violates the Bell inequality considered in the above paper by Boschi et al.Comment: LaTeX, 7 pages, 1 figure, journal versio

A feasible quantum optical experiment capable of refuting noncontextuality for single photons

Elaborating on a previous work by Simon et al. [PRL 85, 1783 (2000)] we propose a realizable quantum optical single-photon experiment using standard present day technology, capable of discriminating maximally between the predictions of quantum mechanics (QM) and noncontextual hidden variable theories (NCHV). Quantum mechanics predicts a gross violation (up to a factor of 2) of the noncontextual Bell-like inequality associated with the proposed experiment. An actual maximal violation of this inequality would demonstrate (modulo fair sampling) an all-or-nothing type contradiction between QM and NCHV.Comment: LaTeX file, 8 pages, 1 figur

Preparation of n-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger entangled states in cavity QED: An approach with tolerance to nonidentical qubit-cavity coupling constants

We propose a way for generating $n$-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) entangled states with a three-level qubit system and (n-1) four-level qubit systems in a cavity. This proposal does not require identical qubit-cavity coupling constants, and thus is tolerant to qubit-system parameter nonuniformity and nonexact placement of qubits in a cavity. The proposal does not require adjustment of the qubit-system level spacings during the entire operation. Moreover, it is shown that entanglement can be deterministically generated using this method and the operation time is independent of the number of qubits. The present proposal is quite general, which can be applied to physical systems such as various types of superconducting devices coupled to a resonator or atoms trapped in a cavity.Comment: 3 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.

Bell's theorem without inequalities and without alignments

A proof of Bell's theorem without inequalities is presented which exhibits three remarkable properties: (a) reduced local states are immune to collective decoherence; (b) distant local setups do not need to be aligned, since the required perfect correlations are achieved for any local rotation of the local setups; (c) local measurements require only individual measurements on the qubits. Indeed, it is shown that this proof is essentially the only one which fulfils (a), (b), and (c).Comment: REVTeX4, 4 page

Comment on "Bell's Theorem without Inequalities and without Probabilities for Two Observers"

In this Comment we show that Cabello's argument [Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 1911 (2001)] which proves the nonlocal feature of any classical model of quantum mechanics based on Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) criterion of elements of reality, must involve at least four distant observers rather than the two employed by the author. Moreover we raise a remark on the necessity of performing a real experiment confirming Cabello's argument.Comment: 1 page, REVTex4 fil

Conditions for the confirmation of three-particle non-locality

The notion of genuine three-particle non-locality introduced by Svetlichny \cite{Svetlichny} is discussed. Svetlichny's inequality which can distinguish between genuine three-particle non-locality and two-particle non-locality is analyzed by reinterpreting it as a frustrated network of correlations. Its quantum mechanical maximum violation is derived and a situation is presented that produces the maximum violation. It is shown that the measurements performed in recent experiments to demonstrate GHZ entanglement \cite{Bouwmeester}, \cite{Pan} do not allow this inequality to be violated, and hence can not be taken as confirmation of genuine three-particle non-locality. Modifications to the experiments that would make such a confirmation possible are discussed.Comment: minor revisions, references adde

On the logical structure of Bell theorems without inequalities

Bell theorems show how to experimentally falsify local realism. Conclusive falsification is highly desirable as it would provide support for the most profoundly counterintuitive feature of quantum theory - nonlocality. Despite the preponderance of evidence for quantum mechanics, practical limits on detector efficiency and the difficulty of coordinating space-like separated measurements have provided loopholes for a classical worldview; these loopholes have never been simultaneously closed. A number of new experiments have recently been proposed to close both loopholes at once. We show some of these novel designs fail in the most basic way, by not ruling out local hidden variable models, and we provide an explicit classical model to demonstrate this. They share a common flaw, which reveals a basic misunderstanding of how nonlocality proofs work. Given the time and resources now being devoted to such experiments, theoretical clarity is essential. Our explanation is presented in terms of simple logic and should serve to correct misconceptions and avoid future mistakes. We also show a nonlocality proof involving four participants which has interesting theoretical properties.Comment: 8 pages, text clarified, explicit LHV model provided for flawed nonlocality tes

Robust and Scalable Scheme to Generate Large-Scale Entanglement Webs

We propose a robust and scalable scheme to generate an $N$-qubit $W$ state among separated quantum nodes (cavity-QED systems) by using linear optics and postselections. The present scheme inherits the robustness of the Barrett-Kok scheme [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 71}, 060310(R) (2005)]. The scalability is also ensured in the sense that an arbitrarily large $N$-qubit $W$ state can be generated with a quasi-polynomial overhead $\sim 2^{O[(\log_2 N)^2]}$. The process to breed the $W$ states, which we introduce to achieve the scalability, is quite simple and efficient, and can be applied for other physical systems.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Testing the Structure of Multipartite Entanglement with Bell Inequalities

We show that the rich structure of multipartite entanglement can be tested following a device-independent approach. Specifically we present Bell inequalities for distinguishing between different types of multipartite entanglement, without placing any assumptions on the measurement devices used in the protocol, in contrast with usual entanglement witnesses. We first address the case of three qubits and present Bell inequalities that can be violated by W states but not by GHZ states, and vice versa. Next, we devise 'sub-correlation Bell inequalities' for any number of parties, which can provably not be violated by a broad class of multipartite entangled states (generalizations of GHZ states), but for which violations can be obtained for W states. Our results give insight into the nonlocality of W states. The simplicity and robustness of our tests make them appealing for experiments.Comment: 7 page

Package of facts and theorems for efficiently generating entanglement criteria for many qubits

We present a package of mathematical theorems, which allow to construct multipartite entanglement criteria. Importantly, establishing bounds for certain classes of entanglement does not take an optimization over continuous sets of states. These bonds are found from the properties of commutativity graphs of operators used in the criterion. We present two examples of criteria constructed according to our method. One of them detects genuine 5-qubit entanglement without ever referring to correlations between all five qubits.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure