arXiv subjects

Martin Plávala

Publications and source records attributed to Martin Plávala.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Existing experiments suffice to indirectly verify the quantum essence of gravity

The gravity-mediated entanglement experiments employ concepts from quantum information to argue that if entanglement due to gravitational interaction is observed, then gravity cannot be described by a classical system. However, the proposed experiments remain beyond our current technological capability, with optimistic projections placing the experiment outside of the short-term future. Here we argue that current matter-wave interferometers are sufficient to indirectly prove that gravitational interaction creates entanglement between two systems. Specifically, we prove that if we experimentally verify the Schrödinger equation for a single delocalized system interacting gravitationally with an external mass, then, under one of two reasonable assumptions, the time evolution of two delocalized systems will lead to gravity-mediated entanglement.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Entangled vs. Separable Choice

A judge observes the joint probabilistic choice rule of two decision makers: the frequency of action pairs across pairs of local covariates. The rule is separable if behavior can be generated as if the decision makers were in separate rooms, unable to communicate at the time of choice. Separability allows arbitrary correlation in tastes, beliefs, information, and randomization devices; it rules out only covariate-dependent coordination. It is therefore the revealed-preference null of social independence, not statistical independence. We construct an exact judge for separability: a complete nonparametric characterization requiring no rationality, utility maximization, equilibrium, or parametric structure. In the binary-covariate, binary-action case, separability is equivalent to no-signaling plus Bell-type CHSH inequalities. In general finite domains, it is equivalent to a no-signaling extension to finitely many virtual replicas of one decision maker, yielding a finite system of linear restrictions. The judge matters because entangled choice rules can pass no-signaling tests while violating separability. We illustrate this in match rigging, plea bargaining, classroom cheating, and an LLM-based agentic system.

econ.GN↗

arXiv2026

Quantifying randomness with measurement incompatibility

We present a trade-off between the amount of observed measurement incompatibility and the capabilities of a classical Eavesdropper in a prepare-and-measure scenario. The result is based on a qualitative connection between measurement incompatibility and randomness generation together with the utilization of incompatibility witnesses as randomness certificates. This allows one to use a geometric measure of incompatibility, the generalised robustness, to bound Eve's strategies through a semi-definite program, while providing an explicit protocol for generating randomness from any set of incompatible measurements. By translating the result to quantum steering, we find a tight connection between steerability and randomness generation in a setting using any finite number of measurement inputs. We further show how our techniques can be generalised to scenarios where Eve has a quantum memory by using a dimensional generalisation of joint measurability.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Probing the nonclassical dynamics of a quantum particle in a gravitational field

In quantum mechanics, the time evolution of particles is given by the Schrödinger equation. It is valid in a nonrelativistic regime where the interactions with the particle can be modelled by a potential and quantised fields are not required. This has been verified in countless experiments when the interaction is of electromagnetic origin, but also corrections due to the quantised field are readily observed. When the interaction is due to gravity, then one cannot expect to see effects of the quantised field in current-technology Earth-bound experiments. However, this does not yet guarantee that in the accessible regime, the time evolution is accurately given by the Schrödinger equation. Here we propose to measure the effects of an asymmetric mass configuration on a quantum particle in an interferometer. For this setup we show that with parameters within experimental reach, one can be sensitive to possible deviations from the Schrödinger equation, beyond the already verified lowest-order regime. Performing this experiment will hence directly test the nonclassical behaviour of a quantum particle in the gravitational field.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Finite de Finetti for convex bodies and Polynomial Optimization

Leveraging a recently proposed notion of relative entropy in general probabilistic theories (GPT), we prove a finite de Finetti representation theorem for general convex bodies. We apply this result to address a fundamental question in polynomial optimization: the existence of a convergent outer hierarchy for problems with inequality constraints and analytical convergence guarantees. Our strategy generalizes a quantitative monogamy-of-entanglement argument from quantum theory to arbitrary convex bodies, establishing a uniform upper bound on mutual information in multipartite extensions. This leads to a finite de Finetti theorem and, subsequently, a convergent conic hierarchy for a wide class of polynomial optimization problems subject to both equality and inequality constraints. We further provide a constructive rounding scheme that yields certified interior points with controlled approximation error. As an application, we express the optimal GPT value of a two-player non-local game as a polynomial optimization problem, allowing our techniques to produce approximation schemes with finite convergence guarantees.

math.OC↗

arXiv2026

Generalised contextuality of continuous variable quantum theory can be revealed with a single projective measurement

Generalized contextuality is a possible indicator of non-classical behaviour in quantum information theory. In finite-dimensional systems, this is justified by the fact that noncontextual theories can be embedded into some simplex, i.e. into a classical theory. We show that a direct application of the standard definition of generalized contextuality to continuous variable systems does not envelope the statistics of some basic measurements, such as the position observable. In other words, we construct families of fully classical, i.e. commuting, measurements that nevertheless can be used to show contextuality of quantum theory. To overcome the apparent disagreement between the two notions of classicality, that is commutativity and noncontextuality, we propose a modified definition of generalised contextuality for continuous-variable systems. The modified definition is based on a physically-motivated approximation procedure, that uses only finite sets of measurement effects. We prove that in the limiting case this definition corresponds exactly to an extension of noncontextual models that benefits from non-constructive response functions. In the process, we discuss the extension of a known connection between contextuality and no-broadcasting to the continuous-variable scenario, and prove structural results regarding fixed points of infinite-dimensional entanglement breaking channels.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Characterising memory in quantum channel discrimination via constrained separability problems

Quantum memories are a crucial precondition in many protocols for processing quantum information. A fundamental problem that illustrates this statement is given by the task of channel discrimination, in which an unknown channel drawn from a known random ensemble should be determined by applying it for a single time. In this paper, we characterise the quality of channel discrimination protocols when the quantum memory, quantified by the auxiliary dimension, is limited. This is achieved by formulating the problem in terms of separable quantum states with additional affine constraints that all of their factors in each separable decomposition obey. We discuss the computation of upper and lower bounds to the solutions of such problems which allow for new insights into the role of memory in channel discrimination. In addition to the single-copy scenario, this methodological insight allows to systematically characterise quantum and classical memories in adaptive channel discrimination protocols. Especially, our methods enabled us to identify channel discrimination scenarios where classical or quantum memory is required, and to identify the hierarchical and non-hierarchical relationships within adaptive channel discrimination protocols.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Monogamy of entanglement between cones

A separable quantum state shared between parties $A$ and $B$ can be symmetrically extended to a quantum state shared between party $A$ and parties $B_1,\ldots ,B_k$ for every $k\in\mathbf{N}$. Quantum states that are not separable, i.e., entangled, do not have this property. This phenomenon is known as "monogamy of entanglement". We show that monogamy is not only a feature of quantum theory, but that it characterizes the minimal tensor product of general pairs of convex cones $\mathsf{C}_A$ and $\mathsf{C}_B$: The elements of the minimal tensor product $\mathsf{C}_A\otimes_{\min} \mathsf{C}_B$ are precisely the tensors that can be symmetrically extended to elements in the maximal tensor product $\mathsf{C}_A\otimes_{\max} \mathsf{C}^{\otimes_{\max} k}_B$ for every $k\in\mathbf{N}$. Equivalently, the minimal tensor product of two cones is the intersection of the nested sets of $k$-extendible tensors. It is a natural question when the minimal tensor product $\mathsf{C}_A\otimes_{\min} \mathsf{C}_B$ coincides with the set of $k$-extendible tensors for some finite $k$. We show that this is universally the case for every cone $\mathsf{C}_A$ if and only if $\mathsf{C}_B$ is a polyhedral cone with a base given by a product of simplices. Our proof makes use of a new characterization of products of simplices up to affine equivalence that we believe is of independent interest.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Factorization of multimeters: a unified view on nonclassical quantum phenomena

Quantum theory exhibits various nonclassical features, such as measurement incompatibility, contextuality, steering, and Bell nonlocality, which distinguish it from classical physics. These phenomena are often studied separately, but they possess deep interconnections. This work introduces a unified mathematical framework based on commuting diagrams that unifies them. By representing collections of measurements (multimeters) as maps to the set of column-stochastic matrices, we show that measurement compatibility and simulability correspond to specific factorizations of these maps through intermediate systems. We apply this framework to put forward connections between different nonclassical notions and provide factorization-based characterizations for steering assemblages and Bell correlations, including a new perspective on the CHSH inequality witnessing measurement incompatibility. We also investigate the symmetric $n$-extensions of multimeters and no-signaling behaviors and connect these extensions to a notion of $n$-wise compatibility and to the existence of $n$-wise LHV models, respectively. Furthermore, we investigate robustness to noise of nonlocal features by examining factorization conditions for maps involving noisy state spaces, providing geometric criteria for when noisy multimeters can be simulated by simpler measurement settings.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

All incompatible measurements on qubits lead to multiparticle Bell nonlocality

Bell nonlocality is a fundamental phenomenon of quantum physics as well as an essential resource for various tasks in quantum information processing. It is known that for the observation of nonlocality the measurements on a quantum system have to be incompatible, but the question which incompatible measurements are useful, remained open. Here we prove that any set of incompatible measurements on qubits leads to a violation of a suitable Bell inequality in a multiparticle scenario, where all parties perform the same set of measurements. Since there exists incompatible measurements on qubits which do not lead to Bell nonlocality for two particles, our results demonstrate a fundamental difference between two-particle and multi-particle nonlocality, pointing at the superactivation of measurement incompatibility as a resource. In addition, our results imply that measurement incompatibility for qubits can always be certified in a device-independent manner.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Ruling out nonlinear modifications of quantum theory with contextuality

Nonlinear modifications of quantum theory are considered potential candidates for the theory of quantum gravity, with the intuitive argument that since Einstein field equations are nonlinear, quantum gravity should be nonlinear as well. Contextuality is a property of quantum systems that forbids the explanation of prepare-and-measure experiments in terms of classical hidden variable models with suitable properties. We show that some well-known nonlinear modifications of quantum mechanics, namely the Deutsch's map, the Weinberg's model, and the Schrödinger - Newton equation, map a contextual set of states to a non-contextual one. That is, the considered nonlinear modifications of quantum theory allow for the existence of classical hidden variable models for certain experimental setups. This enables us to design experiments that would rule out the considered nonlinear modifications of quantum theory by verifying that the system remains contextual, or, equivalently, our results highlight a mechanism how nonlinear modification of quantum theory may lead to weak wave function collapse and ultimately to the solution of the measurement problem.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

The Generalized Skew Spectrum of Graphs

This paper proposes a family of permutation-invariant graph embeddings, generalizing the Skew Spectrum of graphs of Kondor & Borgwardt (2008). Grounded in group theory and harmonic analysis, our method introduces a new class of graph invariants that are isomorphism-invariant and capable of embedding richer graph structures - including attributed graphs, multilayer graphs, and hypergraphs - which the Skew Spectrum could not handle. Our generalization further defines a family of functions that enables a trade-off between computational complexity and expressivity. By applying generalization-preserving heuristics to this family, we improve the Skew Spectrum's expressivity at the same computational cost. We formally prove the invariance of our generalization, demonstrate its improved expressiveness through experiments, and discuss its efficient computation.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2025

Newton's laws of motion generating gravity-mediated entanglement

The interface between quantum theory and gravity represents still uncharted territory. Recently, some works suggested promising alternative approaches aimed at witnessing quantum features to test the fundamental nature of gravity in tabletop experiments: Two masses in an initial superposition of spatially localized states are allowed to interact only through gravity and it is measured whether the final state is entangled. Here we show that one can generate the same amount of entanglement in this setup by using classical time evolution given by Newton's laws of motion. We argue that theories of quantum gravity that can be approximated by the Newtonian potential and classical time evolution given by Newton's laws of motion will generate gravity-mediated entanglement.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Symmetries and Wigner representations of operational theories

We develop the theory of Wigner representations for general probabilistic theories (GPTs), a large class of operational theories that include both classical and quantum theory. The Wigner representations that we introduce are a natural way to describe the theory in terms of some fixed observables; these observables are often picked to be position and momentum or spin observables. This allows us to introduce symmetries which transform the outcomes of the observables used to construct the Wigner representation; we obtain several results for when these symmetries are well defined or when they uniquely specify the Wigner representation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Experimental implementation of dimension-dependent contextuality inequality

We present a derivation and experimental implementation of a dimension-dependent contextuality inequality to certify both the quantumness and dimensionality of a given system. Existing methods for certification of the dimension of quantum system can be cheated by using larger classical systems, creating a potential loophole in these benchmarks. Our approach uses contextuality inequalities that cannot be violated by classical systems thus closing the previous loophole. We validate this framework experimentally with photons, observing violations of a CHSH-based contextuality inequality and surpassing the qutrit bound of the CGLMP4-based contextuality inequality. These show that contextuality can be used for noise-robust tests of the number of qubits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Contextuality as a Precondition for Quantum Entanglement

Quantum theory features several phenomena which can be considered as resources for information processing tasks. Some of these effects, such as entanglement, arise in a nonlocal scenario, where a quantum state is distributed between different parties. Other phenomena, such as contextuality, can be observed if quantum states are prepared and then subjected to sequences of measurements. We use robust remote state preparation to connect the nonlocal and sequential scenarios and provide an intimate connection between different resources: We prove that entanglement in a nonlocal scenario can arise only if there is preparation and measurement contextuality in the corresponding sequential scenario and that the absence of entanglement implies the absence of contextuality. As a direct consequence, our result allows us to translate any inequality for testing preparation and measurement contextuality into an entanglement test; in addition, entanglement witnesses can be used to design novel contextuality inequalities.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Tsirelson inequalities: Detecting cheating and quantumness in a single framework

Quantumness refers to the peculiar and counterintuitive characteristics exhibited by quantum systems. Tsirelson inequalities have emerged as a powerful tool in quantum theory to detect quantumness and entanglement of harmonic oscillators, spins undergoing uniform precession, and anharmonic systems. In this paper we harness the versatility of Tsirelson inequalities to address two distinct problems: detecting cheating in classic shell games and probing quantumness in spatially separated systems and harmonic oscillators. By adopting a black-box approach and a geometric characterization of the space of conditional probabilities, we demonstrate that Tsirelson inequalities can be used in both scenarios, enabling us to uncover quantum signatures and identify cheaters in a single unified framework. This connection provides an intuitive different perspective on quantumness of mechanical systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

The polarization hierarchy for polynomial optimization over convex bodies, with applications to nonnegative matrix rank

We construct a convergent family of outer approximations for the problem of optimizing polynomial functions over convex bodies subject to polynomial constraints. This is achieved by generalizing the polarization hierarchy, which has previously been introduced for the study of polynomial optimization problems over state spaces of $C^*$-algebras, to convex cones in finite dimensions. If the convex bodies can be characterized by linear or semidefinite programs, then the same is true for our hierarchy. Convergence is proven by relating the problem to a certain de Finetti theorem for general probabilistic theories, which are studied as possible generalizations of quantum mechanics. We apply the method to the problem of nonnegative matrix factorization, and in particular to the nested rectangles problem. A numerical implementation of the third level of the hierarchy is shown to give rise to a very tight approximation for this problem.

math.OC↗