Quantum communication. Non-classical correlations and their applications

In the first part of this thesis Bell's theorem is revisited. It points at a difference between the quantum and the classical world. This difference is often behind the advantages of solutions using quantum mechanics. New and more general versions of Bell inequalities are presented. These inequalities involve multiple settings per observer. Compared with the two-setting inequalities, the new ones reveal the non-classical character of a broader class of states. Some of them are also proven to be optimal (tight). Next, we go beyond Bell's theorem. It is shown, both in theory and in experiment, that incompatibility between quantum mechanics and realistic theories can be extended into an important class of nonlocal models. We also show that the violation of Bell inequalities disqualifies local realistic models with a limited lack of the experimenter's freedom. This, at first glance quite philosophical result, has its down-to-earth implications for quantum communication. In the second part of the thesis well-known examples of quantum communication are reviewed. Next, new results concerning quantum cryptography and quantum communication complexity are given.