|q⟩ Bad Qubits

advanced · Physics · Bell Nonlocality & Device-Independence

Checkpoint: Win the CHSH Game

This checkpoint pulls the module's core thread together: build the CHSH Bell operator explicitly, evaluate it on a Bell state to get the quantum value SS, and convert that into the probability of winning the CHSH game. You will reproduce the optimal quantum strategy purely by linear algebra.

The plan

The CHSH value is the expectation of the Bell operator in the shared state:

B=A0(B0+B1)+A1(B0B1),S=Φ+BΦ+.\mathcal B = A_0\otimes(B_0+B_1) + A_1\otimes(B_0-B_1), \qquad S = \langle\Phi^+|\,\mathcal B\,|\Phi^+\rangle.

Take the optimal observables in the XXZZ plane,

A0=Z,A1=X,B0=Z+X2,B1=ZX2,A_0 = Z,\quad A_1 = X,\quad B_0 = \frac{Z+X}{\sqrt2},\quad B_1 = \frac{Z-X}{\sqrt2},

and the maximally entangled state Φ+=12(00+11)|\Phi^+\rangle = \tfrac{1}{\sqrt2}(|00\rangle+|11\rangle). Because everything is real and lies in the XXZZ plane, you can work with real 2×22\times2 and 4×44\times4 matrices throughout — no complex arithmetic needed.

Building the operator

Form the two single-party combinations B0+B1=2ZB_0+B_1 = \sqrt2\,Z and B0B1=2XB_0-B_1 = \sqrt2\,X, then take Kronecker products with Alice's observables and add:

B=Z(2Z)+X(2X)=2(ZZ+XX).\mathcal B = Z\otimes(\sqrt2\,Z) + X\otimes(\sqrt2\,X) = \sqrt2\,(Z\otimes Z + X\otimes X).

On Φ+|\Phi^+\rangle, both ZZZ\otimes Z and XXX\otimes X act as +1+1 (it is a +1+1 eigenstate of each), so B=2(1+1)=22\langle\mathcal B\rangle = \sqrt2\,(1+1) = 2\sqrt2. The exercise computes this by explicit matrix–vector arithmetic rather than by spotting the eigenvalues, so the answer is forced by the linear algebra.

From SS to the win probability

Using pwin=12+S8p_{\text{win}} = \tfrac12 + \tfrac{S}{8} from the game lesson,

pwin=12+228=12+24=cos2π80.8536.p_{\text{win}} = \frac12 + \frac{2\sqrt2}{8} = \frac12 + \frac{\sqrt2}{4} = \cos^2\frac{\pi}{8} \approx 0.8536.

Try it

Construct the 4×44\times4 Bell operator with Kronecker products, evaluate S=Φ+BΦ+S=\langle\Phi^+|\mathcal B|\Phi^+\rangle by direct summation, and return pwin=12+S/8p_{\text{win}} = \tfrac12 + S/8. A correct implementation yields cos2(π/8)0.8536\cos^2(\pi/8)\approx 0.8536 — beating the classical ceiling of 0.750.75 and winning the CHSH game.

Run your code to see the quantum state.

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