Bell Correlations as Selection Artefacts

TL;DR

This paper proposes that Bell correlations can be explained as selection artefacts caused by initial state control, offering a local account of nonlocality without invoking spacelike causality or retrocausality, and improves on previous proposals by applying to real experiments.

Contribution

It demonstrates how Bell correlations can arise from initial state control as a selection artefact, avoiding the need for retrocausality and applying to actual Bell experiments.

Findings

Bell correlations can be explained as selection artefacts.

The approach accounts for nonlocality without spacelike causality.

Application demonstrated in a real Bell experiment.

Abstract

We show that Bell correlations may arise as a special sort of selection artefact, produced by ordinary control of the initial state of the experiments concerned. This accounts for nonlocality, without recourse to any direct spacelike causality or influence. The argument improves an earlier proposal in (arXiv:2101.05370v4 [quant-ph], arXiv:2212.06986 [quant-ph]) in two main respects: (i) in demonstrating its application in a real Bell experiment; and (ii) in avoiding the need for a postulate of retrocausality. This version includes an Appendix, discussing the relation of the proposal to the conclusions of Wood and Spekkens (arXiv:1208.4119 [quant-ph]).