Nonlocality & the CHSH Inequality
Are the perfect correlations of a Bell pair just hidden pre-agreed answers — a classical "the particles decided in advance" story? Bell's astonishing answer is no, and it is testable. The CHSH inequality turns the philosophy of EPR into an experiment: any theory of local pre-set values obeys , yet quantum mechanics with a Bell state reaches . This lesson derives both bounds from scratch and shows you the experiment in code. It is the sharpest demonstration that entanglement is a genuinely non-classical resource — the bedrock under quantum cryptography and device-independent protocols.
Learning Objectives
After this lesson you will be able to:
- State the assumptions of a local hidden-variable (LHV) model and reconstruct the EPR argument for "incompleteness."
- Derive the classical CHSH bound from locality and realism alone.
- Define the CHSH operator, compute for a Bell state, and reach the quantum (Tsirelson) bound .
- Identify the optimal measurement settings and that saturate the violation.
- Explain what a CHSH violation does — and does not — imply for quantum computing and cryptography, and reproduce in NumPy.
Intuition
Two distant labs, Alice and Bob, each receive one qubit of a shared Bell pair. Each freely chooses one of two measurement settings and records a outcome. They repeat many times and tally how often their outcomes agree. The classical worldview — local realism — says each particle carries a predetermined answer for every possible setting (realism), and Alice's choice can't influence Bob's distant outcome (locality). Bell's genius was to find a single number , built from four correlation tallies, that any such pre-set strategy must keep at . Quantum mechanics, using a genuinely entangled pair and cleverly misaligned measurement angles, pushes all the way to $2\sqrt2\approx 2.83$. Nature sides with quantum mechanics. The correlations are not pre-agreed answers; there is no local script. That is nonlocality, and CHSH is how we catch it red-handed.
Theory
Local hidden-variable models and the EPR argument
[EPR35] noticed that for a Bell pair, measuring qubit lets you predict qubit with certainty without disturbing . By their "criterion of reality," must then have a pre-existing definite value — an element of reality — for that observable. But you can do the same for a different, incompatible observable by measuring differently. EPR concluded that both incompatible observables of have simultaneous definite values, which quantum mechanics refuses to assign, so QM must be incomplete: there should exist hidden variables that fix all outcomes in advance.
A local hidden-variable (LHV) model formalizes this. There is a shared variable (drawn with some distribution ) carrying everything decided "at the source." Alice's outcome for setting is a fixed function ; Bob's for setting is . The two crucial assumptions:
- Realism: outcomes are functions of — definite before measurement.
- Locality: does not depend on Bob's setting , nor on Alice's setting (no spooky influence at a distance).
The measured correlation for settings is the expected product of outcomes,
Deriving the classical CHSH bound
Alice picks between two settings ; Bob between . Define the CHSH quantity
Work with a single fixed first. Write , , , , each in . Group the four products:
Here is the key combinatorial fact. Since , exactly one of and is and the other is :
- if , then and ;
- if , then and .
So the whole expression equals or , and since , its value is exactly :
Now average over with , . Averaging cannot increase the magnitude (triangle inequality / Jensen):
This is the CHSH inequality [CHSH69] — a theorem about any local-realistic theory, with no quantum mechanics used. Violating it rules out all such theories at once.
The CHSH operator and the quantum prediction
Quantum mechanics replaces -valued functions with -eigenvalued observables. A single-qubit measurement "along direction " is the Hermitian observable , with eigenvalues (1.3.2). Restricting to the – plane and parametrizing by an angle , define
Let Alice use observables , on her qubit and Bob , on his. The quantum correlation is the expectation of the joint observable,
For the Bell state a direct computation gives a remarkably clean result. Using , , and the mixed terms (from Lesson 1.4.2),
So the Bell-state correlation depends only on the angle difference: . Define the CHSH operator
The Tsirelson bound and the optimal angles
We want to maximize . Set the four relative angles so that three terms are and the subtracted one is . The standard choice:
Then every relevant angle gap is or , and (recall , so the relevant doubled gaps are and ):
This violates the classical bound by a factor . The value is not an accident of these angles — it is the maximum achievable in quantum mechanics, Tsirelson's bound.
Proof of Tsirelson's bound. Each is Hermitian with , and operators on different qubits commute, . Consider . Expanding and using and commutativity across the tensor factors,
(The comes from the four squared terms; the cross terms collect into the commutator product — a short but careful expansion.) Now bound the operator norm. For Hermitian with , , and likewise . Hence
so . Since for any state,
The Bell state with the angles above saturates it. ∎
Now run the experiment the derivation describes. Each pair gets an independent coin flip on each side for which setting to use, the exact correlators come from on the state vector, and the sampled closes in on as its error bar shrinks like . Then swap in the product state , or align the analyzers, and watch the violation disappear:
Interactive demo: The CHSH experiment. Sample entangled pairs with random analyzer settings and watch S break the local bound of 2.
What violation means for quantum computing
A CHSH violation certifies, assuming only locality and the validity of quantum statistics, that:
- The state is genuinely entangled — no separable state can exceed (separable correlations are convex mixtures of products, hence LHV, hence ).
- The correlations are not reproducible by any local pre-set strategy: entanglement is a real physical resource, not bookkeeping.
- It underwrites device-independent protocols: in device-independent QKD and certified randomness, the security/randomness is guaranteed by the observed value of alone, without trusting the internal workings of the devices — a violation of proves the presence of fresh, unpredictable quantum randomness.
What it does not mean: no faster-than-light signaling (the marginal of each side is unaffected by the other's setting — the no-signaling principle holds), and a CHSH violation by itself does not imply a computational speedup. Entanglement is necessary for quantum advantage but not sufficient; the speedup story is Term 3.
Worked Examples
Example 1 — A best-possible classical strategy still gives
Suppose the hidden variable always sets and (everyone says "" always). Then for all settings, and . A more adversarial deterministic strategy: , , gives : . By the derivation, no deterministic (or randomized) local strategy can beat — these saturate the classical bound but cannot reach the quantum .
Example 2 — Computing one quantum correlator by hand
Take (so ) and (so $B_0=\cos45^\circ,Z+\sin45^\circ,X =\tfrac1{\sqrt2}(Z+X)$). Then
This matches , confirming the angle-difference formula on a single term.
Example 3 — Why misaligned angles are essential
If Alice and Bob use the same two settings (, "aligned"), correlators become and , and the four-term sum collapses to — no violation. The violation requires the relative angles to be apart so that all four cosine terms cooperate. Maximal entanglement provides the perfect correlation ; the angles convert that into a value above . Both ingredients — the entangled state and clever incompatible measurements — are necessary.
Hands-on (Python)
import numpy as np
# Single-qubit Pauli observables (eigenvalues ±1):
Z = np.array([[1, 0], [0, -1]], dtype=complex)
X = np.array([[0, 1], [1, 0]], dtype=complex)
kron = np.kron
# Measurement observable in the X–Z plane at "angle" theta (radians):
# M(θ) = cos(2θ) Z + sin(2θ) X (still Hermitian, M² = I, eigenvalues ±1)
def M(theta):
return np.cos(2*theta) * Z + np.sin(2*theta) * X
# Bell state |Φ+> = (|00> + |11>)/√2:
ket0 = np.array([1, 0], dtype=complex)
ket1 = np.array([0, 1], dtype=complex)
phi = (kron(ket0, ket0) + kron(ket1, ket1)) / np.sqrt(2)
def correlator(a, b, state=phi):
"""E(a,b) = <ψ| M(a) ⊗ M(b) |ψ> (real-valued correlation in [-1,1])."""
op = kron(M(a), M(b))
return np.real(state.conj() @ op @ state)# Standard optimal CHSH settings (in degrees -> radians):
deg = np.pi / 180
a0, a1 = 0*deg, 45*deg # Alice's two settings
b0, b1 = 22.5*deg, 67.5*deg # Bob's two settings
E00 = correlator(a0, b0)
E01 = correlator(a0, b1)
E10 = correlator(a1, b0)
E11 = correlator(a1, b1)
S = E00 - E01 + E10 + E11 # the CHSH combination
print(f"E(a0,b0)={E00:+.4f} E(a0,b1)={E01:+.4f} "
f"E(a1,b0)={E10:+.4f} E(a1,b1)={E11:+.4f}")
print(f"S = {S:.6f} classical bound = 2 Tsirelson = {2*np.sqrt(2):.6f}")
# E(a0,b0)=+0.7071 E(a0,b1)=-0.7071 E(a1,b0)=+0.7071 E(a1,b1)=+0.7071
# S = 2.828427 classical bound = 2 Tsirelson = 2.828427
print("Violates |S| <= 2 ?", abs(S) > 2) # True# Sanity checks: a separable (product) state can NEVER violate |S| <= 2.
prod = kron(ket0, ket0) # |00>, a product state
Sp = (correlator(a0, b0, prod) - correlator(a0, b1, prod)
+ correlator(a1, b0, prod) + correlator(a1, b1, prod))
print(f"Product-state S = {Sp:.6f} (|S| <= 2, no violation)")
# Brute-force confirmation of Tsirelson: optimize over all four angles.
best = 0.0
grid = np.linspace(0, np.pi, 181) # 1° grid
for a0g in grid:
e0 = np.array([correlator(a0g, bg) for bg in grid]) # E(a0, ·)
for a1g in grid:
e1 = np.array([correlator(a1g, bg) for bg in grid]) # E(a1, ·)
# S = E(a0,b0) - E(a0,b1) + E(a1,b0) + E(a1,b1);
# the b0 contribution is (e0 + e1), the b1 contribution is (-e0 + e1).
cand = np.max(e0[:, None] + e1[:, None] + (-e0[None, :] + e1[None, :]))
best = max(best, cand)
print(f"max S over angle grid ≈ {best:.4f} (→ 2√2 = {2*np.sqrt(2):.4f})")A brief Braket version estimates one correlator from shots on the free local simulator (no AWS charges). To measure we rotate that axis onto with , then measure in the computational basis and assign to outcomes .
# pip install amazon-braket-sdk
from braket.circuits import Circuit
from braket.devices import LocalSimulator
device = LocalSimulator() # free, runs locally
def estimate_E(theta_a, theta_b, shots=20000):
"""Estimate E(a,b)=<M(a)⊗M(b)> on a Bell pair via shot statistics."""
c = Circuit().h(0).cnot(0, 1) # prepare |Φ+>
c.ry(0, -2*theta_a).ry(1, -2*theta_b) # rotate measurement axes onto Z
counts = device.run(c, shots=shots).result().measurement_counts
e = 0.0
for bitstring, n in counts.items():
# outcome value = (+1 for '0', -1 for '1') on each qubit; product gives ±1
parity = (-1)**(int(bitstring[0]) + int(bitstring[1]))
e += parity * n
return e / shots
deg = 3.141592653589793/180
E00 = estimate_E(0*deg, 22.5*deg); E01 = estimate_E(0*deg, 67.5*deg)
E10 = estimate_E(45*deg, 22.5*deg); E11 = estimate_E(45*deg, 67.5*deg)
S = E00 - E01 + E10 + E11
print(f"Shot-estimated S ≈ {S:.3f} (expect ≈ 2.83, > 2)")Shots and statistics. The shot estimate fluctuates by (Appendix E §7); with shots per correlator you will reliably see between roughly and — comfortably above . Real experiments must also close the locality and detection loopholes; the first loophole-free violations came in 2015.
Exercises
E1 (easy). A friend claims a clever classical (LHV) strategy that reaches . Without computing their strategy, explain why they must be mistaken.
Solution
The derivation shows that for every hidden variable , the bracket , so the average . No LHV strategy — deterministic or randomized — can exceed . A claimed either uses entanglement (not LHV) or contains an error. ∎
E2 (easy). Verify for the optimal angles using .
Solution
, , so and $E=\cos(2\cdot(-22.5^\circ)) =\cos(-45^\circ)=\tfrac1{\sqrt2}$. ✓
E3 (medium). Show that the aligned settings , give (no violation), confirming that misalignment is essential.
Solution
; ; ; . Then . Exactly the classical bound — no violation. ∎
With the analyzers aligned the four bars read . Sample as many pairs as you like: only wanders around within its error bar, never clear of it:
Interactive demo: The CHSH experiment. Sample entangled pairs with random analyzer settings and watch S break the local bound of 2.
E4 (medium). Derive the correlator formula for from and .
Solution
. Taking the expectation in and dropping the zero cross terms, $E=\cos2a\cos2b,\langle Z\otimes Z\rangle+\sin2a\sin2b,\langle X\otimes X\rangle =\cos2a\cos2b+\sin2a\sin2b=\cos(2a-2b)=\cos(2(a-b))$, using the cosine difference identity. ∎
E5 (hard). Prove Tsirelson's bound by establishing and bounding norms. (Fill in the expansion.)
Solution
Write . Square it; let , . . With and , , so . The cross part is where and . Hence the cross part , but with a sign giving (track the signs carefully). Now , (commutator of unit-norm Hermitians), so and . Thus . ∎
E6 (hard). Show that no-signaling holds: Alice's marginal outcome statistics are independent of Bob's setting choice, even at the maximal violation. (So CHSH violation does not enable FTL communication.)
Solution
Alice's marginal for outcome under setting is , where is her projector and acts on Bob's qubit. This expression contains no reference to Bob's setting — summing Bob's measurement over a complete set of outcomes always gives on his side, regardless of which observable he chose. So is the same whatever Bob does; Alice cannot tell Bob's choice from her data alone. No signaling, hence no FTL communication. (Concretely for , every local marginal is .) ∎
Checkpoint
- State the two assumptions of an LHV model and the EPR conclusion drawn from Bell-pair correlations.
- Reproduce the one-line algebraic fact that forces for each .
- What is the CHSH operator, and what correlator does a Bell state give as a function of the angle gap?
- Give the optimal angles and the resulting value of . Why is a hard ceiling?
- Name one thing a CHSH violation proves and one thing it does not prove.
Answers
- Realism (outcomes are predetermined functions of setting and ) and locality (a side's outcome doesn't depend on the other's setting). EPR concluded QM is incomplete — there should be hidden variables fixing all outcomes.
- With , exactly one of is and the other is , so the expression reduces to .
- ; for , .
- give . The ceiling is Tsirelson's bound, from for any quantum observables/state.
- Proves: the state is entangled and no local hidden-variable theory can explain the correlations (also enables device-independent randomness/QKD). Does not prove: faster-than-light signaling (no-signaling holds) or a computational speedup (necessary sufficient).
Further Reading
- [EPR35] Einstein, Podolsky & Rosen — the "incompleteness" argument and elements of reality.
- [Bell64] J. S. Bell — the original inequality showing LHV theories are testable.
- [CHSH69] Clauser, Horne, Shimony & Holt — the experimentally friendly inequality derived here.
- [NC] Nielsen & Chuang, §2.6 — the EPR/Bell discussion and the CHSH game.
- [Pre] Preskill, Ph219, Ch. 4 — Bell inequalities and Tsirelson's bound.
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