Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality

In summary, a new experiment has been reported that successfully closes the loopholes of detection and distance in testing Bell's inequality. This experiment uses entangled electron spins separated by 1.3 km and is free of any additional assumptions, directly testing the principles underlying Bell's inequality. The results of 245 trials show a violation of the CHSH-Bell inequality, ruling out large classes of local realist theories and paving the way for device-independent quantum-secure communication and randomness certification. This is good news and something that was expected by many.
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DrChinese
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A great new experiment is reported closing simultaneously the loopholes of detection (fair sampling assumption) and distance (locality assumption):

Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality using entangled electron spins separated by 1.3 km
B. Hensen, H. Bernien, A.E. Dréau, A. Reiserer, N. Kalb, M.S. Blok, J. Ruitenberg, R.F.L. Vermeulen, R.N. Schouten, C. Abellán, W. Amaya, V. Pruneri, M. W. Mitchell, M. Markham, D.J. Twitchen, D. Elkouss, S. Wehner, T.H. Taminiau, R. Hanson
(Submitted on 24 Aug 2015)
For more than 80 years, the counterintuitive predictions of quantum theory have stimulated debate about the nature of reality. In his seminal work, John Bell proved that no theory of nature that obeys locality and realism can reproduce all the predictions of quantum theory. Bell showed that in any local realist theory the correlations between distant measurements satisfy an inequality and, moreover, that this inequality can be violated according to quantum theory. This provided a recipe for experimental tests of the fundamental principles underlying the laws of nature. In the past decades, numerous ingenious Bell inequality tests have been reported. However, because of experimental limitations, all experiments to date required additional assumptions to obtain a contradiction with local realism, resulting in loopholes. Here we report on a Bell experiment that is free of any such additional assumption and thus directly tests the principles underlying Bell's inequality. We employ an event-ready scheme that enables the generation of high-fidelity entanglement between distant electron spins. Efficient spin readout avoids the fair sampling assumption (detection loophole), while the use of fast random basis selection and readout combined with a spatial separation of 1.3 km ensure the required locality conditions. We perform 245 trials testing the CHSH-Bell inequality S≤2 and find S=2.42±0.20. A null hypothesis test yields a probability of p=0.039 that a local-realist model for space-like separated sites produces data with a violation at least as large as observed, even when allowing for memory in the devices. This result rules out large classes of local realist theories, and paves the way for implementing device-independent quantum-secure communication and randomness certification.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1508.05949

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Finally!
But I think everyone was expecting this anyway.
BTW, its good news.
Thanks DrChinese.
 

Related to Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality

1. What is the significance of "Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality"?

The Experimental loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality refers to a groundbreaking experiment conducted in quantum physics that provided the first direct evidence of quantum entanglement. This experiment demonstrated that two particles can be connected in such a way that actions performed on one particle can instantaneously affect the other, regardless of the distance between them. This violates the principle of local realism, which states that physical properties of objects can only be influenced by their immediate surroundings.

2. How does the experiment achieve "loophole-free" results?

The experiment is designed to eliminate any potential loopholes that could offer alternative explanations for the observed results. This includes using randomly generated measurements, fast timing techniques, and independent particle sources to ensure that the particles are not influenced by any external factors. Additionally, the experiment is conducted over a large distance to rule out the possibility of local hidden variables.

3. What is a Bell inequality and how is it violated in this experiment?

Bell inequalities are mathematical expressions that can be used to test the principles of local realism in quantum systems. In this experiment, a specific type of Bell inequality called CHSH (Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt) inequality is used. The violation of this inequality occurs when the measured results of entangled particles exceed the maximum value predicted by local realism, providing evidence for the existence of quantum entanglement.

4. What are some potential implications of the "loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality" experiment?

This experiment has significant implications for our understanding of the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. It confirms the existence of non-locality in quantum systems and challenges our traditional understanding of cause and effect. Furthermore, it opens the door for the development of new technologies such as quantum cryptography, quantum teleportation, and quantum computing.

5. How does this experiment contribute to the field of quantum physics?

The "loophole-free violation of a Bell inequality" experiment is a major milestone in quantum physics. It provides concrete evidence for the existence of quantum entanglement and disproves local realism, which has been a longstanding debate in the field. This experiment also highlights the importance of designing rigorous experiments to test the principles of quantum mechanics and paves the way for future research in this area.

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