Proposed experiment to test local hidden-variable theories. (English) Zbl 1371.81014

Clauser, John F.; Horne, Michael A.; Shimony, Abner; Holt, Richard A.

Phys. Rev. Lett. 23, No. 15, 880-883 (1969); erratum ibid. 24, No. 10, 549 (1970).

Summary: A theorem of Bell, proving that certain predictions of quantum mechanics are inconsistent with the entire family of local hidden-variable theories, is generalized so as to apply to realizable experiments. A proposed extension of the experiment of Kocher and Commins, on the polarization correlation of a pair of optical photons, will provide a decisive test between quantum mechanics and local hidden-variable theories.

MSC:

81-05

Experimental work for problems pertaining to quantum theory