Precision tests of quantum mechanics and CPT $$ \mathcal{CPT} $$ symmetry with entangled neutral kaons at KLOE

Abstract The quantum interference between the decays of entangled neutral kaons is studied in the process ϕ → KSKL → π + π − π + π − , which exhibits the characteristic Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations that prevent both kaons to decay into π + π − at the same time. This constitutes a very powerful tool for testing at the utmost precision the quantum coherence of the entangled kaon pair state, and to search for tiny decoherence and CPT $$ \mathcal{CPT} $$ violation effects, which may be justified in a quantum gravity framework. The analysed data sample was collected with the KLOE detector at DAΦNE, the Frascati ϕ-factory, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of about 1.7 fb −1, i.e. to about 1.7 × 109 ϕ → KSKL decays produced. From the fit of the observed ∆t distribution, being ∆t the difference of the kaon decay times, the decoherence and CPT $$ \mathcal{CPT} $$ violation parameters of various phenomenological models are measured with a largely improved accuracy with respect to previous analyses. The results are consistent with no deviation from quantum mechanics and CPT $$ \mathcal{CPT} $$ symmetry, while for some parameters the precision reaches the interesting level at which — in the most optimistic scenarios — quantum gravity effects might show up. They provide the most stringent limits up to date on the considered models.