Constraining the Correlation Distance in Quantum Measurements

Abstract

Standard Quantum Physics states that the outcome of measurements for some distant entangled subsystems are instantaneously statistically correlated, whatever their mutual distance. This correlation presents itself as if there were a correlation at a distance with infinite speed. It is expressed by the Bell Theorem. It has been experimentally verified over distances up to 18 km with a time resolution of a few picosecond, which can be translated into an apparent effective correlation speed larger than 10^7 c. The purpose of the present White Paper is to discuss the scientific interest and the feasibility to extend the correlation distance up to the Earth-Moon distance, i.e. 2 10^4 times larger than in present experiments. We are thus led to propose to install on the Moon a polarimter and a high performance photon detector with a high temporal resolution. Such an exploratory experiment would provide new tests of Quantum Physics and could perhaps discriminate between standard Quantum Physics and for instance the Bohmian theory.