Inphysics, theLeggett inequalities,[1] named forAnthony James Leggett, who derived them, are a related pair of mathematical expressions concerning the correlations of properties ofentangled particles. (As published by Leggett, the inequalities were exemplified in terms of relative angles of elliptical and linearpolarizations.)
They are fulfilled by a large class of physical theories based on particularnon-local andrealistic assumptions, that may be considered to be plausible or intuitive according to common physicalreasoning.
The Leggett inequalities are violated byquantum mechanical theory. The results of experimental tests in 2007 and 2010 have shown agreement with quantum mechanics rather than the Leggett inequalities.[2][3] Given that experimental tests ofBell's inequalities have ruled outlocal realism in quantum mechanics, the violation of Leggett's inequalities is considered to have falsifiedrealism in quantum mechanics.[4] In quantum mechanics "realism" means "notion that physical systems possess complete sets of definite values for various parameters prior to, and independent of, measurement".[5]