No Arabic abstract
Entanglement allows for the nonlocality of quantum theory, which is the resource behind device-independent quantum information protocols. However, not all entangled quantum states display nonlocality, and a central question is to determine the precise relation between entanglement and nonlocality. Here we present the first general test to decide whether a quantum state is local, and that can be implemented by semidefinite programming. This method can be applied to any given state and for the construction of new examples of states with local hidden-variable models for both projective and general measurements. As applications we provide a lower bound estimate of the fraction of two-qubit local entangled states and present new explicit examples of such states, including those which arise from physical noise models, Bell-diagonal states, and noisy GHZ and W states.
Constructing local hidden variable (LHV) models for entangled quantum states is challenging, as the model should reproduce quantum predictions for all possible local measurements. Here we present a simple method for building LHV models, applicable to general entangled states, which consists in verifying that the statistics resulting from a finite set of measurements is local, a much simpler problem. This leads to a sequence of tests which, in the limit, fully capture the set of quantum states admitting a LHV model. Similar methods are developed for constructing local hidden state models. We illustrate the practical relevance of these methods with several examples, and discuss further applications.
It was shown by Bell that no local hidden variable model is compatible with quantum mechanics. If, instead, one permits the hidden variables to be entirely non-local, then any quantum mechanical predictions can be recovered. In this paper, we consider general hidden variable models which can have both local and non-local parts. We then show the existence of (experimentally verifiable) quantum correlations that are incompatible with any hidden variable model having a non-trivial local part, such as the model proposed by Leggett.
The correlations of certain entangled quantum states can be fully reproduced via a local model. We discuss in detail the practical implementation of an algorithm for constructing local models for entangled states, recently introduced by Hirsch et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 190402 (2016)] and Cavalcanti et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 190401 (2016)]. The method allows one to construct both local hidden state (LHS) and local hidden variable (LHV) models, and can be applied to arbitrary entangled states in principle. Here we develop an improved implementation of the algorithm, discussing the optimization of the free parameters. For the case of two-qubit states, we design a ready-to-use optimized procedure. This allows us to construct LHS models (for projective measurements) that are almost optimal, as we show for Bell diagonal states, for which the optimal model has recently been derived. Finally, we show how to construct fully analytical local models, based on the output of the convex optimization procedure.
For a bipartite entangled state shared by two observers, Alice and Bob, Alice can affect the post-measured states left to Bob by choosing different measurements on her half. Alice can convince Bob that she has such an ability if and only if the unnormalized postmeasured states cannot be described by a local-hidden-state (LHS) model. In this case, the state is termed steerable from Alice to Bob. By converting the problem to construct LHS models for two-qubit Bell diagonal states to the one for Werner states, we obtain the optimal models given by Jevtic textit{et al.} [J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 32, A40 (2015)], which are developed by using the steering ellipsoid formalism. Such conversion also enables us to derive a sufficient criterion for unsteerability of any two-qubit state.
A recent article of Colbeck and Renner tackled the problem whether entanglements may be explained by combined models of local and non-local hidden variables. To the difference from previous works they considered models in which each pair of entangled particles behaves in the same way, and the particles in the pair are equivalent, i.e. each of them produces its response to a measurement according to both local and non-local hidden variables. Their article aimed at proving that the local hidden variable component in such models has no effect on the measurement results, i.e. only the non-local variables are relevant. However, their proof deals with a very restrictive case and assumes questionable constraints on the hidden variables. The present text studies the Colbeck and Renner class of models on a less restrictive case and under no constraints on the hidden variables. It is shown again that the local component cannot have any influence on the results. However, the Colbeck and Renner class of models is not the only one possible. A different class is described, and it admits local hidden variables by the side of the non-local influence. This class presents a couple of advantages.