Bell inequalities and entanglement in solid state devices

Abstract

Bell-inequality checks constitute a probe of entanglement -- given a source of entangled particles, their violation are a signature of the non-local nature of quantum mechanics. Here, we study a solid state device producing pairs of entangled electrons, a superconductor emitting Cooper pairs properly split into the two arms of a normal-metallic fork with the help of appropriate filters. We formulate Bell-type inequalities in terms of current-current cross-correlators, the natural quantities measured in mesoscopic physics; their violation provides evidence that this device indeed is a source of entangled electrons.