Twin inequality for fully contextual quantum correlations

Quantum mechanics exhibits a very peculiar form of contextuality. Identifying and connecting the simplest scenarios in which more general theories can or cannot be more contextual than quantum mechanics is a fundamental step in the quest for the principle that singles out quantum contextuality. The former scenario corresponds to the Klyachko-Can-Binicioglu-Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality. Here we show that there is a simple tight inequality, twin to the KCBS, for which quantum contextuality cannot be outperformed. In a sense, this twin inequality is the simplest tool for recognizing fully contextual quantum correlations.Comment: REVTeX4, 4 pages, 1 figur

Quantum theory allows for absolute maximal contextuality

Contextuality is a fundamental feature of quantum theory and a necessary resource for quantum computation and communication. It is therefore important to investigate how large contextuality can be in quantum theory. Linear contextuality witnesses can be expressed as a sum $S$ of $n$ probabilities, and the independence number $\alpha$ and the Tsirelson-like number $\vartheta$ of the corresponding exclusivity graph are, respectively, the maximum of $S$ for noncontextual theories and for the theory under consideration. A theory allows for absolute maximal contextuality if it has scenarios in which $\vartheta/\alpha$ approaches $n$. Here we show that quantum theory allows for absolute maximal contextuality despite what is suggested by the examination of the quantum violations of Bell and noncontextuality inequalities considered in the past. Our proof is not constructive and does not single out explicit scenarios. Nevertheless, we identify scenarios in which quantum theory allows for almost absolute maximal contextuality.Comment: REVTeX4, 6 pages, 1 figur

A Combinatorial Approach to Nonlocality and Contextuality

So far, most of the literature on (quantum) contextuality and the Kochen-Specker theorem seems either to concern particular examples of contextuality, or be considered as quantum logic. Here, we develop a general formalism for contextuality scenarios based on the combinatorics of hypergraphs which significantly refines a similar recent approach by Cabello, Severini and Winter (CSW). In contrast to CSW, we explicitly include the normalization of probabilities, which gives us a much finer control over the various sets of probabilistic models like classical, quantum and generalized probabilistic. In particular, our framework specializes to (quantum) nonlocality in the case of Bell scenarios, which arise very naturally from a certain product of contextuality scenarios due to Foulis and Randall. In the spirit of CSW, we find close relationships to several graph invariants. The recently proposed Local Orthogonality principle turns out to be a special case of a general principle for contextuality scenarios related to the Shannon capacity of graphs. Our results imply that it is strictly dominated by a low level of the Navascu\'es-Pironio-Ac\'in hierarchy of semidefinite programs, which we also apply to contextuality scenarios. We derive a wealth of results in our framework, many of these relating to quantum and supraquantum contextuality and nonlocality, and state numerous open problems. For example, we show that the set of quantum models on a contextuality scenario can in general not be characterized in terms of a graph invariant. In terms of graph theory, our main result is this: there exist two graphs $G_1$ and $G_2$ with the properties \begin{align*} \alpha(G_1) &= \Theta(G_1), & \alpha(G_2) &= \vartheta(G_2), \\[6pt] \Theta(G_1\boxtimes G_2) & > \Theta(G_1)\cdot \Theta(G_2),& \Theta(G_1 + G_2) & > \Theta(G_1) + \Theta(G_2). \end{align*}Comment: minor revision, same results as in v2, to appear in Comm. Math. Phy

Contextuality and Wigner function negativity in qubit quantum computation

We describe a scheme of quantum computation with magic states on qubits for which contextuality is a necessary resource possessed by the magic states. More generally, we establish contextuality as a necessary resource for all schemes of quantum computation with magic states on qubits that satisfy three simple postulates. Furthermore, we identify stringent consistency conditions on such computational schemes, revealing the general structure by which negativity of Wigner functions, hardness of classical simulation of the computation, and contextuality are connected.Comment: published versio

The Effect of Decoherence on the Contextual and Nonlocal Properties of a Biphoton

Quantum contextuality is a nonintuitive property of quantum mechanics, that distinguishes it from any classical theory. A complementary quantum property is quantum nonlocality, which is an essential resource for many quantum information tasks. Here we experimentally study the contextual and nonlocal properties of polarization biphotons. First, we investigate the ability of the biphotons to exhibit contextuality by testing the violation of the KCBS inequality. In order to do so, we used the original protocol suggested in the KCBS paper, and adjusted it to the real scenario, where some of the biphotons are distinguishable. Second, we transmitted the biphotons through different unital channels with controlled amount of noise. We measured the decohered output states, and demonstrated that the ability to exhibit quantum contextuality using the KCBS inequality is more fragile to noise than the ability to exhibit nonlocality.Comment: Main text: 5 pages, 2 figures. Supplementary material: 1 page, 1 figure, 1 tabl