Generation and sampling of quantum states of light in a silicon chip

Implementing large instances of quantum algorithms requires the processing of many quantum information carriers in a hardware platform that supports the integration of different components. While established semiconductor fabrication processes can integrate many photonic components, the generation and algorithmic processing of many photons has been a bottleneck in integrated photonics. Here we report the on-chip generation and processing of quantum states of light with up to eight photons in quantum sampling algorithms. Switching between different optical pumping regimes, we implement the Scattershot, Gaussian and standard boson sampling protocols in the same silicon chip, which integrates linear and nonlinear photonic circuitry. We use these results to benchmark a quantum algorithm for calculating molecular vibronic spectra. Our techniques can be readily scaled for the on-chip implementation of specialised quantum algorithms with tens of photons, pointing the way to efficiency advantages over conventional computers

Experimental nonlocality-based network diagnostics of mutipartite entangled states

Quantum networks of growing complexity play a key role as resources for quantum computation; the ability to identify the quality of their internal correlations will play a crucial role in addressing the buiding stage of such states. We introduce a novel diagnostic scheme for multipartite networks of entangled particles, aimed at assessing the quality of the gates used for the engineering of their state. Using the information gathered from a set of suitably chosen multiparticle Bell tests, we identify conditions bounding the quality of the entangled bonds among the elements of a register. We demonstrate the effectiveness, flexibility, and diagnostic power of the proposed methodology by characterizing a quantum resource engineered combining two-photon hyperentanglement and photonic-chip technology. Our approach is feasible for medium-sized networks due to the intrinsically modular nature of cluster states, and paves the way to section-by-section analysis of large photonics resources.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, RevTex4-

Programmable four-photon graph states on a silicon chip

Future quantum computers require a scalable architecture on a scalable technology---one that supports millions of high-performance components. Measurement-based protocols, based on graph states, represent the state of the art in architectures for optical quantum computing. Silicon photonics offers enormous scale and proven quantum optical functionality. Here we report the first demonstration of photonic graph states on a mass-manufactured chip using four on-chip generated photons. We generate both star- and line-type graph states, implementing a basic measurement-based protocol, and measure heralded interference of the chip's four photons. We develop a model of the device and bound the dominant sources of error using Bayesian inference. The two-photon barrier, which has constrained chip-scale quantum optics, is now broken; future increases in on-chip photon number now depend solely on reducing loss, and increasing rates. This experiment, combining silicon technology with a graph-based architecture, illuminates one path to a large-scale quantum future

RNA-Based Assay for Next-Generation Sequencing of Clinically Relevant Gene Fusions in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Gene fusions represent novel predictive biomarkers for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we validated a narrow NGS gene panel able to cover therapeutically-relevant gene fusions and splicing events in advanced-stage NSCLC patients. To this aim, we first assessed minimal complementary DNA (cDNA) input and the limit of detection (LoD) in different cell lines. Then, to evaluate the feasibility of applying our panel to routine clinical samples, we retrospectively selected archived lung adenocarcinoma histological and cytological (cell blocks) samples. Overall, our SiRe RNA fusion panel was able to detect all fusions and a splicing event harbored in a RNA pool diluted up to 2 ng/µL. It also successfully analyzed 46 (95.8%) out of 48 samples. Among these, 43 (93.5%) out of 46 samples reproduced the same results as those obtained with conventional techniques. Intriguingly, the three discordant results were confirmed by a CE-IVD automated real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis (Easy PGX platform, Diatech Pharmacogenetics, Jesi, Italy). Based on these findings, we conclude that our new SiRe RNA fusion panel is a valid and robust tool for the detection of clinically relevant gene fusions and splicing events in advanced NSCLC

Challenges and opportunities of next-generation sequencing: a cytopathologist's perspective

Molecular cytopathology has gene sequencing as its core technology. Until recently, cytological samples were only tested by sequential single-gene mutational tests. Today, with the better understanding of the molecular events involved in malignancy and the mechanisms of pharmacotherapy, larger gene panels are more informative than a single biomarker. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), matched with the multiplex capture of targeted gene regions and analysed by sophisticated bioinformatics tools, enables the simultaneous detection of multiple mutations in multiple genes. With the development of miniaturised technology and benchtop sequencers, it is not unlikely that NGS will soon be adopted for routine molecular diagnostics, including cytological samples. This review addresses (1) the most relevant methodological and technical aspects of the NGS analysis workflow and the diverse platforms available; (2) the issues related to daily practice implementation, namely, the cytological sample requirement and the validation procedures; and (3) the opportunities that NGS offers in different fields of cytopathology, to increase mutation detection sensitivity in paucicellular smears and to extend the analysis to a larger number of gene regions. Cytopathologists involvement and coordination in this rapidly evolving field is crucial for the effective implementation of NGS in the present and future cytological practice

Bird's eye view of modern cytopathology: Report from the seventh international Molecular Cytopathology Meeting in Naples, Italy, 2018

In the era of personalized medicine, cytopathology reports must be standardized to provide clinicians with clear information regarding relevant diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive tumor features. Since 2010, the international Molecular Cytopathology Meeting has been held annually in Naples, Italy, to disseminate recent breakthroughs and ongoing investigations in the field of modern cytopathology. In particular, the seventh annual meeting, which took place on November 26 through 27, 2018, focused on novel cytological and molecular classifications and novel DNA sequencing techniques, as well as on the possibility of using cytological rather than tissue specimens for lung cancer biomarker testing. The present review aims to update cytopathologists on the more recent achievements in modern cytopathology and to identify key research questions that still remain unanswered

Deklarativ erweiterte Attributivgrammatiken Funktionale Semantik und Implementierungskonzepte

TIB: RN 7878(9030) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman