No Fine Theorem for Macrorealism: Limitations of the Leggett-Garg Inequality.

Tests of local realism and macrorealism have historically been discussed in very similar terms: Leggett-Garg inequalities follow Bell inequalities as necessary conditions for classical behavior. Here, we compare the probability polytopes spanned by all measurable probability distributions for both scenarios and show that their structure differs strongly between spatially and temporally separated measurements. We arrive at the conclusion that, in contrast to tests of local realism where Bell inequalities form a necessary and sufficient set of conditions, no set of inequalities can ever be necessary and sufficient for a macrorealistic description. Fine's famous proof that Bell inequalities are necessary and sufficient for the existence of a local realistic model, therefore, cannot be transferred to macrorealism. A recently proposed condition, no-signaling in time, fulfills this criterion, and we show why it is better suited for future experimental tests and theoretical studies of macrorealism. Our work thereby identifies a major difference between the mathematical structures of local realism and macrorealism.

[1]  A. Falcon Physics I.1 , 2018 .

[2]  J. Halliwell Leggett-Garg inequalities and no-signaling in time: A quasiprobability approach , 2015, 1508.02271.

[3]  P. Milman,et al.  Modeling Leggett-Garg-inequality violation , 2015, 1506.04993.

[4]  J. Kofler,et al.  Necessary and sufficient conditions for macroscopic realism from quantum mechanics , 2015, 1501.07517.

[5]  Jan-Åke Larsson,et al.  Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for an Extended Noncontextuality in a Broad Class of Quantum Mechanical Systems. , 2014, Physical review letters.

[6]  Jan-AAke Larsson,et al.  Contextuality in Three Types of Quantum-Mechanical Systems , 2014, 1411.2244.

[7]  S. Pironio,et al.  All Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt polytopes , 2014 .

[8]  Dieter Meschede,et al.  Ideal Negative Measurements in Quantum Walks Disprove Theories Based on Classical Trajectories , 2014, 1404.3912.

[9]  Stefano Pironio,et al.  All CHSH polytopes , 2014, 1402.6914.

[10]  Č. Brukner,et al.  Probing macroscopic realism via Ramsey correlation measurements. , 2013, Physical review letters.

[11]  F. Nori,et al.  Leggett–Garg inequalities , 2013, 1304.5133.

[12]  J. Morton,et al.  Opening up three quantum boxes causes classically undetectable wavefunction collapse , 2013, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[13]  T. S. Mahesh,et al.  Violation of entropic Leggett-Garg inequality in nuclear spins , 2012, 1210.1970.

[14]  G. Guo,et al.  Experimental detection of quantum coherent evolution through the violation of Leggett-Garg-type inequalities. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[15]  H. Hofmann,et al.  Violation of Leggett–Garg inequalities in quantum measurements with variable resolution and back-action , 2012, 1206.6954.

[16]  Marco T'ulio Quintino,et al.  All noncontextuality inequalities for the n-cycle scenario , 2012, 1206.3212.

[17]  Otfried Gühne,et al.  Optimal inequalities for state-independent contextuality. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[18]  Caslav Brukner,et al.  Condition for macroscopic realism beyond the Leggett-Garg inequalities , 2012, 1207.3666.

[19]  O. Romero-Isart,et al.  Quantum superposition of massive objects and collapse models , 2011, 1110.4495.

[20]  T. S. Mahesh,et al.  Investigation of the Leggett-Garg inequality for precessing nuclear spins. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[21]  S. Huelga,et al.  Violation of a temporal bell inequality for single spins in a diamond defect center. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[22]  I. S. Oliveira,et al.  A scattering quantum circuit for measuring Bell's time inequality: a nuclear magnetic resonance demonstration using maximally mixed states , 2011, 1105.2535.

[23]  Nikolai V. Abrosimov,et al.  Violation of a Leggett–Garg inequality with ideal non-invasive measurements , 2011, Nature Communications.

[24]  A. Jordan,et al.  Experimental violation of two-party Leggett-Garg inequalities with semiweak measurements. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[25]  Andrew G. White,et al.  Hardy's paradox and violation of a state-independent Bell inequality in time. , 2010, Physical Review Letters.

[26]  T. Fritz Quantum correlations in the temporal Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt (CHSH) scenario , 2010 .

[27]  Denis Vion,et al.  Experimental violation of a Bell’s inequality in time with weak measurement , 2010, 1005.3435.

[28]  T. Fritz Quantum correlations in the temporal CHSH scenario , 2010, 1005.3421.

[29]  D. Avis,et al.  Leggett-Garg inequalities and the geometry of the cut polytope , 2010, 1004.3818.

[30]  Mark M. Wilde,et al.  Addressing the Clumsiness Loophole in a Leggett-Garg Test of Macrorealism , 2010, 1001.1777.

[31]  M P Almeida,et al.  Violation of the Leggett–Garg inequality with weak measurements of photons , 2009, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[32]  Guang-Can Guo,et al.  Experimental violation of the Leggett-Garg inequality under decoherence , 2009, Scientific reports.

[33]  Stefano Pironio Lifting Bell inequalities , 2005, quant-ph/0503179.

[34]  A J Leggett,et al.  The Quantum Measurement Problem , 2005, Science.

[35]  A. Leggett TOPICAL REVIEW: Testing the limits of quantum mechanics: motivation, state of play, prospects , 2001 .

[36]  H. Weinfurter,et al.  Violation of Bell's Inequality under Strict Einstein Locality Conditions , 1998, quant-ph/9810080.

[37]  Garg,et al.  Quantum mechanics versus macroscopic realism: Is the flux there when nobody looks? , 1985, Physical review letters.

[38]  G. Roger,et al.  Experimental Test of Bell's Inequalities Using Time- Varying Analyzers , 1982 .

[39]  A. Fine Hidden Variables, Joint Probability, and the Bell Inequalities , 1982 .

[40]  B. S. Cirel'son Quantum generalizations of Bell's inequality , 1980 .

[41]  M. Horne,et al.  Experimental Consequences of Objective Local Theories , 1974 .

[42]  Matison,et al.  Experimental Test of Local Hidden-Variable Theories , 1972 .

[43]  A. Shimony,et al.  Proposed Experiment to Test Local Hidden Variable Theories. , 1969 .

[44]  J. Bell On the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox , 1964 .

[45]  E. Schrödinger Die gegenwärtige Situation in der Quantenmechanik , 1935, Naturwissenschaften.