Three-Body Non-Locality in Particle Decays

TL;DR

This paper investigates three-particle non-local correlations from particle decays, testing quantum mechanics against local hidden variable theories using various inequalities to deepen understanding of quantum non-locality in particle physics.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive framework analyzing three-particle non-locality in particle decays, including multiple inequalities to detect deviations from quantum mechanics and hidden variable theories.

Findings

Violations of local hidden variable inequalities observed

Enhanced understanding of non-locality in three-particle systems

Framework applicable to particle physics experiments

Abstract

The exploration of entanglement and Bell non-locality among multi-particle quantum systems offers a profound avenue for testing and understanding the limits of quantum mechanics and local real hidden variable theories. In this work, we examine non-local correlations among three massless spin-1/2 particles generated from the three-body decay of a massive particle, utilizing a framework based on general four-fermion interactions. By analyzing several inequalities, we address the detection of deviations from quantum mechanics as well as violations of two key hidden variable theories: fully local-real and bipartite local-real theories. Our approach encompasses the standard Mermin inequality and the tight $4 \times 4 \times 2$ inequality, providing a comprehensive framework for probing three-partite non-local correlations. Our findings provide deeper insights into the boundaries of classical and quantum theories in three-particle systems, advancing the understanding of non-locality in particle decays and its relevance to particle physics and quantum foundations.