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arXiv · 2506.02637

Proposed experiments for detecting contextual hidden variables

Konstantinos Papatryfonos·Louis Vervoort
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Abstract

We propose two quantum experiments - modified Bell tests - that could detect contextual hidden variables underlying quantum mechanics. The experiments are inspired by hydrodynamic pilot-wave systems that mimic a wide range of quantum effects and exhibit a classical analog of contextuality. To justify the experiments, we show that contextual hidden variables are 'physics as usual' if a unification between quantum mechanics and general relativity is possible. Accordingly, contextual theories can bypass Bell's theorem in a way that is both local and non-conspiratorial. We end with a note on the relevance of exploratory experiments in the foundations of quantum physics.

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Konstantinos Papatryfonos, Louis Vervoort. 2025-06-03. Proposed experiments for detecting contextual hidden variables. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02637

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