Experimental consequences of local hidden variable theories
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Abstract
A family of theories called "deterministic local hidden variable theories" (DLHV) is characterized and their
consequences are investigated for an experimentally realistic
situation. An experiment on the polarization correlation
of optical photon pairs emitted in certain atomic cascades is proposed as a test of the family of DLHV
theories. The model-independent hidden variable predictions
applicable to the realistic experimental arrangement are obtained by a generalization of a previous theorem of Bell.
Quantum mechanical predictions for the same experimental situation are calculated for two cases: a J = 0 + J = 1 + J = 0 and a J = 1 + J = 1 + J = 0 electric dipole cascade.
For both cascades, it is shown that the quantum mechanical
and the DLHV predictions are in sufficient disagreement for
an actual experimental test to be possible. Restrictions
on detector solid angle and polarizer efficiency, necessary
to obtain a decisive experiment, are explicitly given.
The Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen argument for the existence
of a DLHV theory is reviewed.
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