We give an example of fulfillment of the condition of locality--no information transfer between certain subsystems--in a tripartite quantum system whose dynamics can not be decomposed (non-sequential dynamics of the system). The three subsystems ($A$, $B$ and $C$) are designed such that $C$ interacts simultaneously with both $A$ and $B$, while there is not any interaction between $A$ and $B$. On this basis, we emphasize validity of the condition of locality in a realistic physical situation.
We present a local-hidden-variable model for positive-operator-valued measurements (an LHVPOV model) on a class of entangled generalized Werner states, thus demonstrating that such measurements do not always violate a Bell-type inequality. We also show that, in general, if the state $ρ'$ can be obtained from $ρ$ with certainty by local quantum operations without classical communication then an LHVPOV model for the state $ρ$ implies the existence of such a model for $ρ'$.
We investigate the situation in which no information can be transferred from a quantum system B to a quantum system A, even though both interact with a common system C.
Within a global physical theory, a notion of locality allows us to find and justify information-processing primitives, like non-signalling between distant agents. Here we propose exploring the opposite direction: to take agents as the basic building blocks through which we test a physical theory, and recover operational notions of locality from signalling conditions. First we introduce an operational model for the effective state spaces of individual agents, as well as the range of their actions. We then formulate natural secrecy conditions between agents and identify the aspects of locality r…
We consider discriminating between bipartite boxes with 2 binary inputs and 2 binary outputs (2x2) using the class of completely locality preserving operations i.e. those, which transform boxes with local hidden variable model (LHVM) into boxes with LHVM, and have this property even when tensored with identity operation. Following approach developed in entanglement theory we derive linear program which gives an upper bound on the probability of success of discrimination between different isotropic boxes. In particular we provide an upper bound on the probability of success of discrimination be…
Localized Majorana fermions emerge in many topologically ordered systems and exhibit exchange statistics of Ising anyons. This enables noise-resistant implementation of a limited set of operations by braiding and fusing Majorana fermions. Unfortunately, these operations are incapable of implementing universal quantum computation. We show that, regardless of these limitations, Majorana fermions could be used to demonstrate non-locality (correlations incompatible with a local hidden variable theory) in experiments using only topologically protected operations. We also demonstrate that our propos…
Contextuality is a key resource in quantum information and the device-independent security of quantum algorithms. In this work, we show that the recently developed, operational Mermin non-locality arguments provide a large, novel family of quantum realisable All-vs-Nothing models. In particular, they result in a diverse wealth of quantum realisable models which are maximally contextual (i.e. lie on the faces of the no-signalling polytope with no local elements), and could be used as a resource for the security of a new class of quantum secret sharing algorithms.
Einstein introduced the locality principle which states that all physical effect in some finite space-time region does not influence its space-like separated finite region. Recently, in algebraic quantum field theory, Rédei captured the idea of the locality principle by the notion of operational separability. The operation in operational separability is performed in some finite space-time region, and leaves unchanged the state in its space-like separated finite space-time region. This operation is defined with a completely positive map. In the present paper, we justify using a completely posit…
Numerous quantum many-body systems are characterized by either fundamental or emergent constraints---such as gauge symmetries or parity superselection for fermions---which effectively limit the accessible observables and realizable operations. Moreover, these constraints combine non-trivially with the potential requirement that operations be performed locally. The combination of symmetry and locality constraints influence our ability to perform quantum error correction in two counterposing ways. On the one hand, they constrain the effect of noise, limiting its possible action over the quantum …
A qualitative but formalized representation of microstates is first established quite independently of the quantum mechanical mathematical formalism, exclusively under epistemological-operational-methodological constraints. Then, using this representation as a reference-and-imbedding-structure, the foundations of an intelligible reconstruction of the Hilbert-Dirac formulation of Quantum Mechanics is developed. Inside this reconstruction the measurement problem as well as the other major problems raised by the quantum mechanical formalism, dissolve.
It is often supposed that a quantum system is not disturbed without state change. In a recent debate, this assumption is used to claim that the operator-based disturbance measure, a broadly used disturbance measure, has an unphysical property. Here, we show that a quantum system possibly incurs an operationally detectable disturbance without state change to rebut the claim. Moreover, we establish the reliability, formulated as soundness and locality, of the operator-based disturbance measure, which, we show, quantifies the disturbance on an observable that manifests in the time-like correlatio…
Measurements performed on distant parts of an entangled quantum state can generate correlations incompatible with classical theories respecting the assumption of local causality. This is the phenomenon known as quantum non-locality that, apart from its fundamental role, can also be put to practical use in applications such as cryptography and distributed computing. Clearly, developing ways of quantifying non-locality is an important primitive in this scenario. Here, we propose to quantify the non-locality of a given probability distribution via its trace distance to the set of classical correl…
The 1964 theorem of John Bell shows that no model that reproduces the predictions of quantum mechanics can simultaneously satisfy the assumptions of locality and determinism. On the other hand, the assumptions of \emph{signal locality} plus \emph{predictability} are also sufficient to derive Bell inequalities. This simple theorem, previously noted but published only relatively recently by Masanes, Acin and Gisin, has fundamental implications not entirely appreciated. Firstly, nothing can be concluded about the ontological assumptions of locality or determinism independently of each other -- it…
An operational concept of locality whose quantum violation is indicated independently of any other assumption(s) seems to be lacking in the quantum foundations literature so far. Bell's theorem only shows that quantum correlations violate the conjunction of the ontological assumptions of localism and determinism. Taking a cue from computational complexity theory, here we define such a concept of locality in terms of a class of operational decision problems, and propose that Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering in its basic asymmetric formulation gives a specific realization of this class. Va…
In this paper, we introduce intrinsic non-locality as a quantifier for Bell non-locality, and we prove that it satisfies certain desirable properties such as faithfulness, convexity, and monotonicity under local operations and shared randomness. We then prove that intrinsic non-locality is an upper bound on the secret-key-agreement capacity of any device-independent protocol conducted using a device characterized by a correlation $p$. We also prove that intrinsic steerability is an upper bound on the secret-key-agreement capacity of any semi-device-independent protocol conducted using a device…
There is an ongoing search for a physical or operational definition for quantum mechanics. Several informational principles have been proposed which are satisfied by a theory less restrictive than quantum mechanics. Here, we introduce the principle of "many-box locality", which is a refined version of the previously proposed "macroscopic locality". These principles are based on coarse-graining the statistics of several copies of a given box. The set of behaviors satisfying many-box locality for $N$ boxes is denoted $MBL_N$. We study these sets in the bipartite scenario with two binary measurem…
Given a bipartite quantum state rho with subsystems A and B of arbitrary dimensions, we study the entanglement detecting capabilities of locally noneffective, or cyclic, unitary operations [L. B. Fu, Europhys. Lett., vol. 75, pp. 1-7, 2006]. Local cyclic unitaries have the special property that they leave their target subsystem invariant. We investigate the distance between rho and the global state after local application of such unitaries as a possible indicator of entanglement. To this end, we derive and discuss closed formulae for the maximal such distance achievable for three cases of inte…
Non-local correlations are not only a fascinating feature of quantum theory, but an interesting resource for information processing, for instance in communication-complexity theory or cryptography. An important question in this context is whether the resource can be distilled: Given a large amount of weak non-local correlations, is there a method to obtain strong non-locality using local operations and shared randomness? We partly answer this question by no: CHSH-type non-locality, the only possible non-locality of binary systems, which is not super-strong, but achievable by measurements on ce…
The debate on the nature of quantum probabilities in relation to Quantum Non Locality has elevated Quantum Mechanics to the level of an "Operational Epistemic Theory". In such context the quantum superposition principle has an extraneous non epistemic nature. This leads us to seek purely operational foundations for Quantum Mechanics, from which to derive the current mathematical axiomatization based on Hilbert spaces. In the present work I present a set of axioms of purely operational nature, based on a general definition of "the experiment", the operational/epistemic archetype of information …
Does the remote measurement-disturbance of the quantum state of a system $B$ by measurement on system $A$ entangled with $B$, constitute a real disturbance -- i.e., an objective alteration -- of $B$ in an operational sense? Employing information theoretic criteria motivated by operational considerations alone, we argue that the disturbance in question is real for a subset of steerable correlations. This result highlights the distinction between quantum no-signaling and relativistic signal-locality. It furthermore suggests a natural reason why a convex operational theory should be non-signaling…
Quantum correlations in a physical system are usually studied with respect to a unique (fixed) decomposition of the system into subsystems, without fully exploiting the rich structure of the state-space. Here, we show several examples in which the consideration of different ways to decompose a physical system enhances the quantum resources and accounts for a more flexible definition of quantumness-measures. Furthermore, we give a new perspective regarding how to reassess the fact that local operations play a key role in general quantumness-measures that go beyond entanglement --as discord-like…
Topological systems, such as fractional quantum Hall liquids, promise to successfully combat environmental decoherence while performing quantum computation. These highly correlated systems can support non-Abelian anyonic quasiparticles that can encode exotic entangled states. To reveal the non-local character of these encoded states we demonstrate the violation of suitable Bell inequalities. We provide an explicit recipe for the preparation, manipulation and measurement of the desired correlations for a large class of topological models. This proposal gives an operational measure of non-locali…
Non-locality is a powerful resource for various communication and information theoretic tasks, e.g., to establish a secret key between two parties, or to reduce the communication complexity of distributed computing. Typically, the more non-local a system is, the more useful it is as a resource for such tasks. We address the issue of non-locality distillation, i.e., whether it is possible to create a strongly non-local system by local operations on several weakly non-local ones. More specifically, we consider a setting where non-local systems can be realized via measurements on underlying share…
We present a detailed study on the possibility of manipulating quantum information encoded in the "radial" modes of arrays of trapped ions (i.e., in the ions' oscillations orthogonal to the trap's main axis). In such systems, because of the tightness of transverse confinement, the radial modes pertaining to different ions can be addressed individually. In the first part of the paper we show that, if local control of the radial trapping frequencies is available, any linear optical and squeezing operation on the locally defined modes - on single as well as on many modes - can be reproduced by ma…
We develop connections between generalised notions of entanglement and quantum computational devices where the measurements available are restricted, either because they are noisy and/or because by design they are only along Pauli directions. By considering restricted measurements one can (by considering the dual positive operators) construct single particle state spaces that are different to the usual quantum state space. This leads to a modified notion of entanglement that can be very different to the quantum version (for example, Bell states can become separable). We use this approach to de…
Quantum theory puts forward phenomena unexplainable by classical physics - or information, for that matter. A prominent example is non-locality. Non-local correlations cannot be explained, in classical terms, by shared information but only by communication. On the other hand, the phenomenon does not allow for (potentially faster-than-light) message transmission. The fact that some non-local and non-signaling correlations are predicted by quantum theory, whereas others fail to be, asks for a criterion, as simple as possible, that characterizes which joint input-output behaviors are ``quantum'' …
Suppose we want to identify an input state with one of two unknown reference states, where the input state is guaranteed to be equal to one of the reference states. We assume that no classical knowledge of the reference states is given, but a certain number of copies of them are available instead. Two reference states are independently and randomly chosen from the state space in a unitary invariant way. This is called the quantum state identification problem, and the task is to optimize the mean identification success probability. In this paper, we consider the case where each reference state …
Bell's theorem is 50 years old. Still there is a controversy about its implications. Much of it has its roots in confusion regarding the premises from which the theorem can be derived. Some claim that a derivation of Bell's inequalities requires just locality assumption, and nothing more. Violations of the inequalities are then interpreted as ``nonlocality'' or ``quantum nonlocality''. We show that such claims are unfounded and that every derivation of Bell's inequalities requires a premise -- in addition to locality and freedom of choice -- which is either assumed tacitly, or unconsciously, o…
We study the EPR-type correlations from the perspective of the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics. We argue that these correlations do not entail any form of 'non-locality', when viewed in the context of this interpretation. The abandonment of strict Einstein realism implied by the relational stance permits to reconcile quantum mechanics, completeness, (operationally defined) separability, and locality.
We study restrictions on locality-preserving unitary logical gates for topological quantum codes in two spatial dimensions. A locality-preserving operation is one which maps local operators to local operators --- for example, a constant-depth quantum circuit of geometrically local gates, or evolution for a constant time governed by a geometrically-local bounded-strength Hamiltonian. Locality-preserving logical gates of topological codes are intrinsically fault tolerant because spatially localized errors remain localized, and hence sufficiently dilute errors remain correctable. By invoking gene…
We show how to perform reversible universal quantum computation on a translationally invariant pure state, using only global operations based on next-neighbor interactions. We do not need not to break the translational symmetry of the state at any time during the computation. Since the proposed scheme fulfills the locality condition of a quantum cellular automata, we present a reversible quantum cellular automaton capable of universal quantum computation.
We investigate how multiphoton quantum states obtained through optical parametric amplification can be manipulated by performing a measurement on a small portion of the output light field. We study in detail how the macroqubit features are modified by varying the amount of extracted information and the strategy adopted at the final measurement stage. At last the obtained results are employed to investigate the possibility of performing a microscopic-macroscopic non-locality test free from auxiliary assumptions.
This paper points out the importance of the assumption of locality of physical interactions, and the concomitant necessity of propagation of an entity (in this case, off-shell quanta - virtual gravitons) between two non-relativistic test masses in unveiling the quantum nature of linearized gravity through a laboratory experiment. At the outset, we will argue that observing the quantum nature of a system is not limited to evidencing $O\left(\hbar\right)$ corrections to a classical theory: it instead hinges upon verifying tasks that a classical system cannot accomplish. We explain the background…
Categorical quantum mechanics studies quantum theory in the framework of dagger-compact closed categories. Using this framework, we establish a tight relationship between two key quantum theoretical notions: non-locality and complementarity. In particular, we establish a direct connection between Mermin-type non-locality scenarios, which we generalise to an arbitrary number of parties, using systems of arbitrary dimension, and performing arbitrary measurements, and a new stronger notion of complementarity which we introduce here. Our derivation of the fact that strong complementarity is a nece…
An obstacle affecting any proposal for a topological quantum computer based on Ising anyons is that quasiparticle braiding can only implement a finite (non-universal) set of quantum operations. The computational power of this restricted set of operations (often called stabilizer operations) has been studied in quantum information theory, and it is known that no quantum-computational advantage can be obtained without the help of an additional non-stabilizer operation. Similarly, a bipartite two-qubit system based on Ising anyons cannot exhibit non-locality (in the sense of violating a Bell ineq…
As is well-known in the context of topological insulators and superconductors, short-range-correlated fermionic pure Gaussian states with fundamental symmetries are systematically classified by the periodic table. We revisit this topic from a quantum-information-inspired operational perspective without referring to any Hamiltonians, and apply the formalism to bosonic Gaussian states as well as (both fermionic and bosonic) locality-preserving unitary Gaussian operations. We find that while bosonic Gaussian states are all trivial, there exist nontrivial bosonic Gaussian operations that cannot be…
Local Operations and Field Mediated Entanglement without a Local Tensor Product Structure
University of Vienna（维也纳大学）；Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI), Austrian Academy of Sciences（奥地利科学院量子光学和量子信息研究所）；ETH Zurich（苏黎世联邦理工学院）；Università di Roma Tor Vergata（罗马第二大学）；Sezione INFN Roma2（INFN罗马第二分部）
Quantum measurement is essential to both the foundations and practical applications of quantum information science. Among many possible models of quantum measurement, feedback measurements that dynamically update their physical structure are highly interesting due to their flexibility which enables a wide range of measurements that might otherwise be hard to implement. Here we investigate by detector tomography a measurement consisting of a displacement operation combined with photon detection followed by a real time feedback operation. We design the measurement in order to discriminate the su…
