Nonlocality of the original Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen state

We examine the properties and behavior of the original Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) wave function [Phys. Rev. 47, 777 (1935)] and related Gaussian-correlated wave functions. We assess the degree of entanglement of these wave functions and consider an argument of Bell [Ann. (N.Y.) Acad. Sci. 480, 263 (1986)] based on the Wigner phase-space distribution [Phys. Rev. 40, 749 (1932)], which implies that the original EPR correlations can accommodate a local hidden-variable description. We extend Bell’s analysis to the related Gaussian wave functions. We then show that it is possible to identify definite nonlocal aspects for the original EPR state and related states. We describe possible experiments that would demonstrate these nonlocal features through violations of Bell inequalities. The implications of our results, and in particular their relevance for the causal interpretation of quantum mechanics, are considered.