Memory cost of quantum contextuality with Pauli observables

Abstract

Classically simulating the quantum contextual correlations produced by sequences of ideal measurements of compatible observables requires the measured system to have an internal memory. Computing the minimum amount of memory needed is, in general, challenging. Here, building upon the work of Kleinmann et al. [New J. Phys. 13, 113011 (2011)], we prove that the memory cost for simulating the contextuality produced by the $10$ three-qubit observables of Mermin's pentagram is only $\log_2(5) \approx 2.32$ bits, but the memory cost for simulating the contextuality produced by all $15$ two-qubit Pauli observables is, at least, $\log_2(6) \approx 2.58$ bits, thus exceeding the classical capacity of the system on which the measurements are performed. We also add results on the memory for simulating some subsets of quantum predictions.