Proposed Experimental Test for Proving Quantum Contextuality with Non-entangled Photons

TL;DR

This paper proposes a practical experimental test to demonstrate quantum contextuality using non-entangled photons, highlighting measurement process as the source of nonclassicality, with a feasible optical setup.

Contribution

It introduces a new experimental scheme for testing quantum contextuality with non-entangled photons, emphasizing measurement process over entanglement as the source of nonclassicality.

Findings

Contradiction between quantum mechanics and noncontextual hidden variables demonstrated

Feasible optical setup with photon pairs and linear optics proposed

Measurement process identified as origin of nonclassicality

Abstract

We present a new and feasible test proving quantum contextuality in four-dimensional Hiltbert space. In our scheme, a contradiction between quantum mechanics and noncontextual hidden variables is revealed through the measurement statistics of two joint measurements of an ensemble of non-entangled qubits. The origin of nonclassicality is fully attributed to the measurement process. Quantum optical realization using photon pairs and linear optics are presented.