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  • Open Access

Addressing local realism through Bell tests at colliders

Matthew Low*

  • Pittsburgh Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Center, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

  • *Contact author: matthew.w.low@pitt.edu
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Phys. Rev. D 112, 096008 – Published 12 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/15c3-mg5l

Abstract

One of the most notable aspects of quantum systems is that their components can exhibit correlations much stronger than those allowed by classical physics. Two examples of quantum correlations are quantum entanglement and Bell nonlocality, but generally there is a hierarchy of many types of quantum correlations. Among these correlations, Bell nonlocality holds a special place because it plays a dual role in distinguishing theories where local realism is a valid description. A Bell test, which is a test of local realism, typically needs to be augmented with assumptions to address possible loopholes in the experimental setup. In this work, we study Bell tests in experiments in which the detector reports the correct outcome with a specified probability. This mirrors the situation at high-energy colliders, where particle spins are not measured directly but inferred from the angular distributions of their decay products. We show that, in this setup, a test of local realism is not possible. Quantum correlations, however, are still present, measurable, and informative in high-energy colliders. These correlations are the building blocks of the interesting, developing quantum information science program at high-energy colliders. The measurements of entanglement by the ATLAS and CMS experiments are the first steps in this initiative.

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Phys. Rev. D 112, 096008– Published 12 November, 2025
  • Received 25 August 2025
  • Accepted 20 October 2025
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