Leggett-Garg test of macrorealism using indefinite causal order of measurements

Macrorealism is a belief that constitutes the core of our perception of reality in the everyday world. The Leggett-Garg (LG) test is a conceptually elegant approach for probing the compatibility between the notion of macrorealism and quantum theory. However, a conclusive LG test hinges on how one fixes the operational invasiveness loophole, i.e., how the statistical form of non-invasive measurability assumption is guaranteed in an LG test. Despite many attempts to close this loophole, no consensus has been achieved yet. In this work, we propose a simple and elegant scheme based on indefinite causal order in quantum switch experiment, which enables us to close this loophole, and eventually, the LG test becomes a conclusive test of macrorealism.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Macrorealism is a fundamental belief in perceiving reality in our everyday world. The Leggett-Garg (LG) test is a conceptually elegant method to investigate the compatibility between macrorealism and quantum theory. However, the lack of consensus on fixing the operational invasiveness loophole, specifically the statistical form of non-invasive measurability assumption, hinders achieving conclusive LG tests. This study proposes a simple and elegant scheme based on indefinite causal order in a quantum switch experiment to close this loophole and ultimately enable a conclusive test of macrorealism in the LG test.