Abstract
An atomic cascade experiment is proposed that includes the detection of a recoil atom after the emission of two photons. This would permit testing of the Bell inequality without the need for additional assumptions, provided that the quantum efficiency of single-photon detectors exceeds a threshold of 0.92. The atomic source consists of calcium atoms, first trapped and then accelerated by gravity, whose velocity is controlled before they reach the interaction region with the two counterpropagating laser beams. The procedure allows a relatively high background in the photodetectors.
Highlights
An atomic cascade experiment is proposed that includes the detection of a recoil atom after the emission of two photons
The angle between the wave vectors of a given photon pair can differ from m by an amount large enough for the polarization correlation to be appreciably decreased
The mere existence of the models proves that these experiments cannot discriminate between quantum mechanics and the whole family of local hidden variable (LHV) theories but only between quantum mechanics and the restricted family of LHV theories, fulfilling the well-known "additional assumptions" used to circumvent loopholes (i) and (ii) quoted above
Summary
An atomic cascade experiment is proposed that includes the detection of a recoil atom after the emission of two photons. This would permit testing of the Bell inequality without the need for additional assumptions, provided that the quantum eKciency of single-photon detectors exceeds a threshold of 0.92.
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