Tsirelson bounds for quantum correlations with indefinite causal order

Quantum theory is in principle compatible with processes that violate causal inequalities, an analogue of Bell inequalities that constrain the correlations observed by sets of parties operating in a definite causal order. Since the introduction of causal inequalities, determining their maximum quantum violation, analogue to Tsirelson's bound for Bell inequalities, has remained an open problem. Here we provide a general method for bounding the violation of arbitrary causal inequalities, establishing limits to the correlations achievable by arbitrary local experiments and by arbitrary quantum processes with indefinite causal order. We prove that the maximum violation is generally smaller than the algebraic maximum of the corresponding correlation, and determine Tsirelson-like bounds for a class of causal inequalities including some of the most paradigmatic examples. Our results motivate a search for physical principles characterizing the boundary of the set of quantum correlations with indefinite causal order.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-04-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58508-9
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
3.74

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article

Tsirelson bounds for quantum correlations with indefinite causal order

Giulio Chiribella, Zixuan Liu
3 citations
Nature Communications
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
3.74
article

Tsirelson bounds for quantum correlations with indefinite causal order

Giulio Chiribella, Zixuan Liu
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Quantum theory is in principle compatible with processes that violate causal inequalities, an analogue of Bell inequalities that constrain the correlations observed by sets of parties operating in a definite causal order. Since the introduction of causal inequalities, determining their maximum quantum violation, analogue to Tsirelson's bound for Bell inequalities, has remained an open problem. Here we provide a general method for bounding the violation of arbitrary causal inequalities, establishing limits to the correlations achievable by arbitrary local experiments and by arbitrary quantum processes with indefinite causal order. We prove that the maximum violation is generally smaller than the algebraic maximum of the corresponding correlation, and determine Tsirelson-like bounds for a class of causal inequalities including some of the most paradigmatic examples. Our results motivate a search for physical principles characterizing the boundary of the set of quantum correlations with indefinite causal order.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Université Libre de Bruxelles (BE), Perimeter Institute (CA), University of Oxford (GB), University of Hong Kong (HK)
John Templeton Foundation, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Government of Canada, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Institut Périmètre de physique théorique
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Quantum Mechanics and Applications
3.74
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