Dual form of the phase-space classical simulation problem in quantum optics

In quantum optics, nonclassicality of quantum states is commonly associated with negativities of phase-space quasiprobability distributions.We argue that the impossibility of any classical simulations with phase-space functions is a necessary and sufficient condition of nonclassicality. The problem of such phase-space classical simulations for particular measurement schemes is analysed in the framework of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bell's principles of physical reality. The dual form of this problem results in an analogue of Bell inequalities. Their violations imply the impossibility of phase-space classical simulations and, as a consequence, nonclassicality of quantum states. We apply this technique to emblematic optical measurements such as photocounting, including the cases of realistic photon-number resolution and homodyne detection in unbalanced, balanced, and eight-port configurations.

Nonlocality of a type of multi-star-shaped quantum networks

The correlations in quantum networks have attracted strong interest due to the fact that linear Bell inequalities derived from one source are useless for characterizing multipartite correlations of general quantum networks. In this paper, { a type of multi-star-shaped quantum networks are introduced and discussed. Such a network consists of three-grade nodes: the first grade is named party (node) $A$, the second one consists of $m$ nodes marked $B^1,B^2,\ldots,B^m$, which are stars of $A$ and the third one consists of $m^2$ nodes $C^j_k (j,k=1,2,\ldots,m)$, where $C^j_k (k=1,2,\ldots,m)$ are stars of $B^j$. We call such a network a $3$-grade $m$-star quantum network and denoted by $SQN(3,m)$, being as a natural extension of bilocal networks and star-shaped networks.} We introduce and discussed the locality and strong locality of a $SQN(3,m)$ and derive the related nonlinear Bell inequalities, called $(3,m)$-locality inequalities and $(3,m)$-strong locality inequalities. To compare with the bipartite locality of quantum states, we define the separability of $SQN(3,m)$ that imply the locality and then locality of $SQN(3,m)$. When all of the shared states of the network are pure ones, we prove that $SQN(3,m)$ is nonlocal if and only if it is entangled.

Groups, Platonic solids and Bell inequalities

The construction of Bell inequalities based on Platonic and Archimedean solids (Quantum 4 (2020), 293) is generalized to the case of orbits generated by the action of some finite groups. A number of examples with considerable violation of Bell inequalities is presented.

On safe post-selection for Bell tests with ideal detectors: Causal diagram approach

Reasoning about Bell nonlocality from the correlations observed in post-selected data is always a matter of concern. This is because conditioning on the outcomes is a source of non-causal correlations, known as a selection bias, rising doubts whether the conclusion concerns the actual causal process or maybe it is just an effect of processing the data. Yet, even in the idealised case without detection inefficiencies, post-selection is an integral part of experimental designs, not least because it is a part of the entanglement generation process itself. In this paper we discuss a broad class of scenarios with post-selection on multiple spatially distributed outcomes. A simple criterion is worked out, called the all-but-one principle, showing when the conclusions about nonlocality from breaking Bell inequalities with post-selected data remain in force. Generality of this result, attained by adopting the high-level diagrammatic tools of causal inference, provides safe grounds for systematic reasoning based on the standard form of multipartite Bell inequalities in a wide array of entanglement generation schemes, without worrying about the dangers of selection bias. In particular, it can be applied to post-selection defined by single-particle events in each detection chanel when the number of particles in the system is conserved.

Robust self-testing of steerable quantum assemblages and its applications on device-independent quantum certification

Given a Bell inequality, if its maximal quantum violation can be achieved only by a single set of measurements for each party or a single quantum state, up to local unitaries, one refers to such a phenomenon as self-testing. For instance, the maximal quantum violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality certifies that the underlying state contains the two-qubit maximally entangled state and the measurements of one party contains a pair of anti-commuting qubit observables. As a consequence, the other party automatically verifies the set of states remotely steered, namely the "assemblage", is in the eigenstates of a pair of anti-commuting observables. It is natural to ask if the quantum violation of the Bell inequality is not maximally achieved, or if one does not care about self-testing the state or measurements, are we capable of estimating how close the underlying assemblage is to the reference one? In this work, we provide a systematic device-independent estimation by proposing a framework called "robust self-testing of steerable quantum assemblages". In particular, we consider assemblages violating several paradigmatic Bell inequalities and obtain the robust self-testing statement for each scenario. Our result is device-independent (DI), i.e., no assumption is made on the shared state and the measurement devices involved. Our work thus not only paves a way for exploring the connection between the boundary of quantum set of correlations and steerable assemblages, but also provides a useful tool in the areas of DI quantum certification. As two explicit applications, we show 1) that it can be used for an alternative proof of the protocol of DI certification of all entangled two-qubit states proposed by Bowles et al., and 2) that it can be used to verify all non-entanglement-breaking qubit channels with fewer assumptions compared with the work of Rosset et al.

Contextuality-by-Default Description of Bell Tests: Contextuality as the Rule and Not as an Exception

Contextuality and entanglement are valuable resources for quantum computing and quantum information. Bell inequalities are used to certify entanglement; thus, it is important to understand why and how they are violated. Quantum mechanics and behavioural sciences teach us that random variables ‘measuring’ the same content (the answer to the same Yes or No question) may vary, if ‘measured’ jointly with other random variables. Alice’s and BoB′s raw data confirm Einsteinian non-signaling, but setting dependent experimental protocols are used to create samples of coupled pairs of distant ±1 outcomes and to estimate correlations. Marginal expectations, estimated using these final samples, depend on distant settings. Therefore, a system of random variables ‘measured’ in Bell tests is inconsistently connected and it should be analyzed using a Contextuality-by-Default approach, what is done for the first time in this paper. The violation of Bell inequalities and inconsistent connectedness may be explained using a contextual locally causal probabilistic model in which setting dependent variables describing measuring instruments are correctly incorporated. We prove that this model does not restrict experimenters’ freedom of choice which is a prerequisite of science. Contextuality seems to be the rule and not an exception; thus, it should be carefully tested.