Hadron Structure from the Hierarchy of Quantum Correlations in Deep-Inelastic Scattering

Abstract

We show that the hierarchy of quantum correlations produced in deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) can serve as a novel probe of the proton's nonperturbative structure. Specifically, we show that quantum entanglement, discord, steering, and magic provide nontrivial and complementary sensitivities to the nucleon's parton distribution functions (PDFs), particularly those encoding the transverse-spin polarization of the interacting quark. This connection leads to a unique probe of the proton's parton-level tensor charges with implications for beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics searches. We propose how quantum information measures can be utilized for precision studies of hadron structure at DIS experiments like the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).