Quantum circuits with many photons on a programmable nanophotonic chip.

Growing interest in quantum computing for practical applications has led to a surge in the availability of programmable machines for executing quantum algorithms1,2. Present-day photonic quantum computers3-7 have been limited either to non-deterministic operation, low photon numbers and rates, or fixed random gate sequences. Here we introduce a full-stack hardware-software system for executing many-photon quantum circuit operations using integrated nanophotonics: a programmable chip, operating at room temperature and interfaced with a fully automated control system. The system enables remote users to execute quantum algorithms that require up to eight modes of strongly squeezed vacuum initialized as two-mode squeezed states in single temporal modes, a fully general and programmable four-mode interferometer, and photon number-resolving readout on all outputs. Detection of multi-photon events with photon numbers and rates exceeding any previous programmable quantum optical demonstration is made possible by strong squeezing and high sampling rates. We verify the non-classicality of the device output, and use the platform to carry out proof-of-principle demonstrations of three quantum algorithms: Gaussian boson sampling, molecular vibronic spectra and graph similarity8. These demonstrations validate the platform as a launchpad for scaling photonic technologies for quantum information processing.

Impact of Vairimorpha sp. (Microsporidia: Burnellidae) on Trichogramma chilonis (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae), a hymenopteran parasitoid of the cabbage moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutidae).

A multi-generation mass breeding colony of the cabbage moth, Plutella xylostella, was found to be infected with a microsporidium, Vairimorpha sp., which is passed transovarially between generations. The microsporidian infection had little impact on the fitness of this lepidopteran pest. However, when Trichogramma chilonis parasitized such infected host eggs, the offspring of this parasitoid species suffered from severe deficiencies. Microsporidian spores, ingested by parasitoid larvae together with the host egg nutrients, gave rise to stages which developed in various tissues of the parasitoid, such as the flight muscle and the nervous system. This infection resulted in a significantly increased rate of metamorphosis failure (related to host age) and reduced longevity and reproductive performance of the parasitoids. There are two main consequences arising from our findings if T. chilonis is to be used in an integrated control strategy against P. xylostella: (1) T. chilonis must be raised on Vairimorpha-free host eggs to receive viable and efficaceous parasitoids for release and (2) if natural populations of the cabbage moth in cruciferous crops are infected with Vairimorpha to a significant extent, the parasitoid must be released repeatedly within infested crop areas.