Bell-inequality tests with entanglement between an atom and a coherent state in a cavity

Abstract

We study Bell-inequality tests with entanglement between a coherent-state field in a cavity and a two-level atom. In order to detect the cavity field for such a test, photon on-off measurements and photon number parity measurements, respectively, are investigated. When photon on-off measurements are used, at least 50% of detection efficiency is required to demonstrate violation of the Bell inequality. Photon number parity measurements for the cavity field can be effectively performed using ancillary atoms and an atomic detector, which leads to large degrees of Bell violations up to Cirel'son's bound. We also analyze decoherence effects in both field and atomic modes and discuss conditions required to perform a Bell inequality test free from the locality loophole.