TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimental test of noncontextuality inequality without causal chain assumptions
AU - Fan, Xingyan
AU - Zhang, An Ning
AU - Song, Bowen
AU - Li, Jian
AU - Chen, Xiaoxiao
AU - Meng, Zhe
AU - Li, Jungang
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026.
PY - 2026/12
Y1 - 2026/12
N2 - Contextuality and entanglement are fundamental quantum resources for quantum information processing, and contextuality has been identified as a necessary precondition for entanglement. However, direct implementation of this connection in a realistic experiment remains to be demonstrated. In addition, previous experiments face practical challenges in explicitly satisfying the linear constraints required for contextuality tests. In this work, we present an experimental investigation of this relationship using polarization-entangled photons. First, remote state preparation arising from entanglement allows the required linear constraints to be satisfied structurally. Second, our results provide an operational demonstration of the relationship’s asymmetrical nature. While all four tested Bell states violate a general noncontextuality inequality, confirming they are all contextual resources, only a single Bell state violates the specific entanglement witness mapped from it. This work provides a proof-of-principle experimental implementation of the contextuality-entanglement connection and illustrates how remote state preparation can be used to realize the relevant linear constraints in this setting.
AB - Contextuality and entanglement are fundamental quantum resources for quantum information processing, and contextuality has been identified as a necessary precondition for entanglement. However, direct implementation of this connection in a realistic experiment remains to be demonstrated. In addition, previous experiments face practical challenges in explicitly satisfying the linear constraints required for contextuality tests. In this work, we present an experimental investigation of this relationship using polarization-entangled photons. First, remote state preparation arising from entanglement allows the required linear constraints to be satisfied structurally. Second, our results provide an operational demonstration of the relationship’s asymmetrical nature. While all four tested Bell states violate a general noncontextuality inequality, confirming they are all contextual resources, only a single Bell state violates the specific entanglement witness mapped from it. This work provides a proof-of-principle experimental implementation of the contextuality-entanglement connection and illustrates how remote state preparation can be used to realize the relevant linear constraints in this setting.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105051213146
U2 - 10.1038/s42005-026-02715-3
DO - 10.1038/s42005-026-02715-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105051213146
SN - 2399-3650
VL - 9
JO - Communications Physics
JF - Communications Physics
IS - 1
M1 - 305
ER -