Quantum Entanglement: Criteria and Collective Tests

Abstract

The state of a quantum system, consisting of two distinct subsystems, is called separable if it can be prepared by two distant experimenters who receive instructions from a common source, via classical communication channels. A necessary condition is derived and is shown to be more sensitive than Bell's inequality for detecting quantum inseparability. Moreover, collective tests of Bell's inequality (namely, tests that involve several composite systems simultaneously) may sometimes lead to a violation of Bell's inequality, even if the latter is satisfied when each composite system is tested separately.