Towards a Quantum Information Theory of Hadronization: Dihadron Fragmentation and Neutral Polarization in Heavy Baryons

Abstract

We pioneer the application of quantum information theory to experimentally distinguish between classes of hadronization models. We adapt the CHSH inequality to the fragmentation of a single parton to hadron pairs, a violation of which would rule out classical dynamics of hadronization altogether. Furthermore, we apply and extend the theory of quantum contextuality and local quantum systems to the neutral polarization of a single spin-1 hadronic system, namely the light constituents of excited Sigma baryons $\hat{I}{\pounds }_{c,b}^{\ast }$ formed in the fragmentation of heavy quarks.

5 pages + supplemental material, 3 figures; v2: added references, comparison to data from 2506.05499, additional detail in Supp. B