Characterizing quantum correlations in spin chains

The growth in the demand for precisely crafted many-body systems of spin-$1/2$ particles/qubits is due to their top-notch versatility in application-oriented quantum-enhanced protocols and the fundamental tests of quantum theory. Here we address the question: how quantum is a chain of spins? We demonstrate that a single element of the density matrix carries the answer. Properly analyzed it brings information about the extent of the many-body entanglement and the non-locality. This method can be used to tailor and witness highly non-classical effects in many-body systems with possible applications to quantum computing, ultra-precise metrology or large-scale tests of quantum mechanics. As a proof of principle, we investigate the extend of non-locality and entanglement in ground states and thermal states of experimentally accessible spin chains.