Genome-wide identification, stress- and hormone-responsive expression characteristics, and regulatory pattern analysis of Scutellaria baicalensis SbSPLs.

SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKEs (SPLs) encode plant-specific transcription factors that regulate plant growth and development, stress response, and metabolite accumulation. However, there is limited information on Scutellaria baicalensis SPLs. In this study, 14 SbSPLs were identified and divided into 8 groups based on phylogenetic relationships. SbSPLs in the same group had similar structures. Abscisic acid-responsive (ABRE) and MYB binding site (MBS) cis-acting elements were found in the promoters of 8 and 6 SbSPLs. Segmental duplications and transposable duplications were the main causes of SbSPL expansion. Expression analysis based on transcriptional profiling showed that SbSPL1, SbSPL10, and SbSPL13 were highly expressed in roots, stems, and flowers, respectively. Expression analysis based on quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT‒qPCR) showed that most SbSPLs responded to low temperature, drought, abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA), among which the expression levels of SbSPL7/9/10/12 were significantly upregulated in response to abiotic stress. These results indicate that SbSPLs are involved in the growth, development and stress response of S. baicalensis. In addition, 8 Sba-miR156/157 s were identified, and SbSPL1-5 was a potential target of Sba-miR156/157 s. The results of target gene prediction and coexpression analysis together indicated that SbSPLs may be involved in the regulation of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), lignin and jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis. In summary, the identification and characterization of the SbSPL gene family lays the foundation for functional research and provides a reference for improved breeding of S. baicalensis stress resistance and quality traits.

Arc discharge method to fabricate large concave structures for open-access fiber Fabry-Pérot cavities.

We present a novel micro-fabrication technique for creating concave surfaces on the endfacets of photonic crystal fibers. A fiber fusion splicer is used to generate arc discharges to melt and reshape the fiber endfacet. This technique can produce large spherical concave surfaces with roughness as low as 0.12 nm in various types of photonic crystal fibers. The deviation of fabricated surface and a spherical profile in the region of 70 µm in diameter is less than 50 nm. The center of the concave surface and the fiber mode field are highly coincident with a deviation less than 500 nm. Finesse measurements have shown that a Fabry-Pérot cavity composed of the fiber fabricated using this method and a plane mirror maintains finesse of 20000. This method is easy to replicate, making it a practical and efficient approach to fabricate concave surface on fibers for open-access fiber Fabry-Pérot cavities.

Experimental Demonstration of Input-Output Indefiniteness in a Single Quantum Device.

Quantum theory allows information to flow through a single device in a coherent superposition of two opposite directions, resulting into situations where the input-output direction is indefinite. Here we introduce a theoretical method to witness input-output indefiniteness in a single quantum device, and we experimentally demonstrate it by constructing a photonic setup that exhibits input-output indefiniteness with a statistical significance exceeding 69 standard deviations. Our results provide a way to characterize input-output indefiniteness as a resource for quantum information and photonic quantum technologies and enable tabletop simulations of hypothetical scenarios exhibiting quantum indefiniteness in the direction of time.

Experimental Examination of Entanglement Estimates.

Recently, a proper genuine multipartite entanglement measure has been found for three-qubit pure states [see Xie and Eberly, Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 040403 (2021)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.127.040403], but capturing useful entanglement measures for mixed states has remained an open challenge. So far, it requires not only a full tomography in experiments, but also huge calculational labor. A leading proposal was made by Gühne, Reimpell, and Werner [Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 110502 (2007)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.98.110502], who used expectation values of entanglement witnesses to describe a lower bound estimation of entanglement. We provide here an extension that also gives genuine upper bounds of entanglement. This advance requires only the expectation value of any Hermitian operator. Moreover, we identify a class of operators A_{1} that not only give good estimates, but also require a remarkably small number of experimental measurements. In this Letter, we define our approach and illustrate it by estimating entanglement measures for a number of pure and mixed states prepared in our recent experiments.

A versatile multi-tone laser system for manipulating atomic qubits based on a fiber Mach-Zehnder modulator and second harmonic generation.

Stimulated Raman transition is a fundamental method to coherently manipulate quantum states in different physical systems. Phase-coherent dichromatic radiation fields matching the energy level splitting are the key to realizing stimulated Raman transition. Here we demonstrate a flexible-tuning, spectrum-clean and fiber-compatible method to generate a highly phase-coherent and high-power multi-tone laser. This method features the utilization of a broadband fiber Mach-Zehnder modulator working at carrier suppression condition and second harmonic generation. We generate a multi-tone continuous-wave 532 nm laser with a power of 1.5 Watts and utilize it to manipulate the spin and motional states of a trapped 171Yb+ ion via stimulated Raman transition. For spin state manipulation, we acquire an effective Rabi frequency of 2π × 662.3 kHz. Due to the broad bandwidth of the fiber modulator and nonlinear crystal, the frequency gap between tones can be flexibly tuned. Benefiting from the features above, this method can manipulate 171Yb+ and 137Ba+ simultaneously in the multi-species ion trap and has potential to be widely applied in atomic, molecular and optical physics.

Experimental Demonstration that No Tripartite-Nonlocal Causal Theory Explains Nature's Correlations.

Quantum theory predicts the existence of genuinely tripartite-entangled states, which cannot be obtained from local operations over any bipartite-entangled states and unlimited shared randomness. Some of us recently proved that this feature is a fundamental signature of quantum theory. The state |GHZ_{3}⟩=(|000⟩+|111⟩)/sqrt[2] gives rise to tripartite quantum correlations that cannot be explained by any causal theory limited to bipartite nonclassical common causes of any kind (generalizing entanglement) assisted with unlimited shared randomness. Hence, any conceivable physical theory that would reproduce quantum predictions will necessarily include genuinely tripartite resources. In this Letter, we verify that such tripartite correlations are experimentally achievable. We derive a new device-independent witness capable of falsifying causal theories wherein nonclassical resources are merely bipartite. Using a high-performance photonic |GHZ_{3}⟩ state with fidelities of 0.9741±0.002, we provide a clear experimental violation of that witness by more than 26.3 standard deviations, under the locality and fair sampling assumption. We generalize our Letter to the |GHZ_{4}⟩ state, obtaining correlations that cannot be explained by any causal theory limited to tripartite nonclassical common causes assisted with unlimited shared randomness.

High-Dimensional Bell Test without Detection Loophole.

Violation of Bell's inequalities shows strong conflict between quantum mechanics and local realism. Loophole-free Bell tests not only deepen understanding of quantum mechanics, but are also important foundations for device-independent (DI) tasks in quantum information. High-dimensional quantum systems offer a significant advantage over qubits for closing the detection loophole. In the symmetric scenario, a detection efficiency as low as 61.8% can be tolerated using four-dimensional states and a four-setting Bell inequality [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 060401 (2010)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.104.060401]. For the first time, we show that four-dimensional entangled photons violate a Bell inequality while closing the detection loophole in experiment. The detection efficiency of the four-dimensional entangled source is about 71.7%, and the fidelity of the state is 0.995±0.001. Combining the technique of multicore fibers, the realization of loophole-free high-dimensional Bell tests and high-dimensional quantum DI technologies are promising.

Entanglement Swapping and Quantum Correlations via Symmetric Joint Measurements.

We use hyperentanglement to experimentally realize deterministic entanglement swapping based on quantum elegant joint measurements. These are joint projections of two qubits onto highly symmetric, isoentangled bases. We report measurement fidelities no smaller than 97.4%. We showcase the applications of these measurements by using the entanglement swapping procedure to demonstrate quantum correlations in the form of proof-of-principle violations of both bilocal Bell inequalities and more stringent correlation criteria corresponding to full network nonlocality. Our results are a foray into entangled measurements and nonlocality beyond the paradigmatic Bell state measurement and they show the relevance of more general measurements in entanglement swapping scenarios.

Certification of Genuine Multipartite Entanglement with General and Robust Device-Independent Witnesses.

Genuine multipartite entanglement represents the strongest type of entanglement, which is an essential resource for quantum information processing. Standard methods to detect genuine multipartite entanglement, e.g., entanglement witnesses, state tomography, or quantum state verification, require full knowledge of the Hilbert space dimension and precise calibration of measurement devices, which are usually difficult to acquire in an experiment. The most radical way to overcome these problems is to detect entanglement solely based on the Bell-like correlations of measurement outcomes collected in the experiment, namely, device independently. However, it is difficult to certify genuine entanglement of practical multipartite states in this way, and even more difficult to quantify it, due to the difficulty in identifying optimal multipartite Bell inequalities and protocols tolerant to state impurity. In this Letter, we explore a general and robust device-independent method that can be applied to various realistic multipartite quantum states in arbitrary finite dimension, while merely relying on bipartite Bell inequalities. Our method allows us both to certify the presence of genuine multipartite entanglement and to quantify it. Several important classes of entangled states are tested with this method, leading to the detection of genuinely entangled states. We also certify genuine multipartite entanglement in weakly entangled Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states, showing that the method applies equally well to less standard states.

Development and validation of a nomogram for primary duodenal carcinoma: a multicenter, population-based study.

Aim: This study aimed to develop a predictive model for patients with duodenal carcinoma. Methods: Duodenal carcinoma patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2010-2015) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (2010-2021) were enrolled. A nomogram was constructed according to least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, the Akaike information criterion approach and Cox regression analysis. Results: Five independent prognostic factors were significantly associated with the prognosis of the duodenal carcinoma patients. A nomogram was constructed with a C-index in the training and validation cohorts of 0.671 (95% CI: 0.578-0.716) and 0.662 (95% CI: 0.529-0.773), respectively. Conclusion: The established nomogram model provided visualization of the risk of each prognostic factor.

Quantum frequency conversion from ultraviolet to visible band through waveguides in a period-poled MgO:LiTaO3 crystal.

In research on hybrid quantum networks, visible or near-infrared frequency conversion has been realized. However, technical limitations mean that there have been few studies involving the ultraviolet band, and unfortunately the wavelengths of the rare-earth or alkaline-earth metal atoms or ions that are used widely in research on quantum information are often in the UV band. Therefore, frequency conversion of the ultraviolet band is very important. In this paper, we demonstrate a quantum frequency conversion between ultraviolet and visible wavelengths by fabricating waveguides in a period-poled MgO:LiTaO3 crystal with a laser writing system, which will be used to connect the wavelength of the dipole transition of 171Yb+ at 369.5 nm and the absorption wavelength of Eu3+ at 580 nm in a solid-state quantum memory system. An external conversion efficiency of 0.85% and a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 500 are realized with a pumping power of 3.28 W at 1018 nm. Furthermore, we complete frequency conversion of the classical polarization state by means of a symmetric optical setup based on the fabricated waveguide, and the process fidelity of the conversion is (96.13 ± 0.021)%. This converter paves the way for constructing a hybrid quantum network and realizing a quantum router in the ultraviolet band in the future.

Large-tuning-range frequency stabilization of an ultraviolet laser by an open-loop piezoelectric ceramic controlled Fabry-Pérot cavity.

We demonstrate a laser frequency stabilization method with large tuning range to stabilize a UV laser by installing piezoelectric ceramic actuators into a Fabry-Pérot cavity with an ultra-low expansion spacer. To suppress piezoelectric drift, a two-layer symmetrical structure is adopted for the piezoelectric actuator, and a 14.7 GHz tuning range is achieved. The short-term drift of the piezoelectric ceramics caused by temperature and creep is eliminated, and the long-term drift is 0.268 MHz/h when the Fabry-Pérot cavity is sealed in a chamber without a vacuum environment. The long-term frequency drift is mainly caused by stress release and is eliminated by compensating the cavity voltage with an open loop. Without the need for an external reference or a vacuum environment, the laser frequency stabilization system is greatly simplified, and it can be extended to wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to infrared. Owing to its simplicity, stability, and large tuning range, it is applicable in cold atom and trapped ion experiments.

Experimental Demonstration of Instrument-Specific Quantum Memory Effects and Non-Markovian Process Recovery for Common-Cause Processes.

The duration, strength, and structure of memory effects are crucial properties of physical evolution. Because of the invasive nature of quantum measurement, such properties must be defined with respect to the probing instruments employed. Here, using a photonic platform, we experimentally demonstrate this necessity via two paradigmatic processes: future-history correlations in the first process can be erased by an intermediate quantum measurement; for the second process, a noisy classical measurement blocks the effect of history. We then apply memory truncation techniques to recover an efficient description that approximates expectation values for multitime observables. Our proof-of-principle analysis paves the way for experiments concerning more general non-Markovian quantum processes and highlights where standard open systems techniques break down.

Super-resolved Imaging of a Single Cold Atom on a Nanosecond Timescale.

In cold atomic systems, fast and high-resolution microscopy of individual atoms is crucial, since it can provide direct information on the dynamics and correlations of the system. Here, we demonstrate nanosecond-scale two-dimensional stroboscopic pictures of a single trapped ion beyond the optical diffraction limit, by combining the main idea of ground-state depletion microscopy with quantum-state transition control in cold atoms. We achieve a spatial resolution up to 175 nm using a NA=0.1 objective in the experiment, which represents a more than tenfold improvement compared with direct fluorescence imaging. To show the potential of this method, we apply it to observe the secular motion of the trapped ion; we demonstrate a temporal resolution up to 50 ns with a displacement detection sensitivity of 10 nm. Our method provides a powerful tool for probing particle positions, momenta, and correlations, as well as their dynamics in cold atomic systems.

Optimized Detection of High-Dimensional Entanglement.

Entanglement detection is one of the most conventional tasks in quantum information processing. While most experimental demonstrations of high-dimensional entanglement rely on fidelity-based witnesses, these are powerless to detect entanglement within a large class of entangled quantum states, the so-called unfaithful states. In this Letter, we introduce a highly flexible automated method to construct optimal tests for entanglement detection given a bipartite target state of arbitrary dimension, faithful or unfaithful, and a set of local measurement operators. By restricting the number or complexity of the considered measurement settings, our method outputs the most convenient protocol which can be implemented using a wide range of experimental techniques such as photons, superconducting qudits, cold atoms, or trapped ions. With an experimental quantum optics setup that can prepare and measure arbitrary high-dimensional mixed states, we implement some three-setting protocols generated by our method. These protocols allow us to experimentally certify two- and three-unfaithful entanglement in four-dimensional photonic states, some of which contain well above 50% of noise.

Long-Distance Entanglement Purification for Quantum Communication.

High-quality long-distance entanglement is essential for both quantum communication and scalable quantum networks. Entanglement purification is to distill high-quality entanglement from low-quality entanglement in a noisy environment and it plays a key role in quantum repeaters. The previous significant entanglement purification experiments require two pairs of low-quality entangled states and were demonstrated in tabletop. Here we propose and report a high-efficiency and long-distance entanglement purification using only one pair of hyperentangled state. We also demonstrate its practical application in entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD). One pair of polarization spatial-mode hyperentanglement was distributed over 11 km multicore fiber (noisy channel). After purification, the fidelity of polarization entanglement arises from 0.771 to 0.887 and the effective key rate in entanglement-based QKD increases from 0 to 0.332. The values of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality of polarization entanglement arises from 1.829 to 2.128. Moreover, by using one pair of hyperentanglement and deterministic controlled-NOT gates, the total purification efficiency can be estimated as 6.6×10^{3} times than the experiment using two pairs of entangled states with spontaneous parametric down-conversion sources. Our results offer the potential to be implemented as part of a full quantum repeater and large-scale quantum network.

Pathways for Entanglement-Based Quantum Communication in the Face of High Noise.

Entanglement-based quantum communication offers an increased level of security in practical secret shared key distribution. One of the fundamental principles enabling this security-the fact that interfering with one photon will destroy entanglement and thus be detectable-is also the greatest obstacle. Random encounters of traveling photons, losses, and technical imperfections make noise an inevitable part of any quantum communication scheme, severely limiting distance, key rate, and environmental conditions in which quantum key distribution can be employed. Using photons entangled in their spatial degree of freedom, we show that the increased noise resistance of high-dimensional entanglement can indeed be harnessed for practical key distribution schemes. We perform quantum key distribution in eight entangled paths at various levels of environmental noise and show key rates that, even after error correction and privacy amplification, still exceed 1 bit per photon pair and furthermore certify a secure key at noise levels that would prohibit comparable qubit based schemes from working.

Efficient Generation of High-Dimensional Entanglement through Multipath Down-Conversion.

High-dimensional entanglement promises to greatly enhance the performance of quantum communication and enable quantum advantages unreachable by qubit entanglement. One of the great challenges, however, is the reliable production, distribution, and local certification of high-dimensional sources of entanglement. In this Letter, we present an optical setup capable of producing quantum states with an exceptionally high level of scalability, control, and quality that, together with novel certification techniques, achieve the highest amount of entanglement recorded so far. We showcase entanglement in 32-spatial dimensions with record fidelity to the maximally entangled state (F=0.933±0.001) and introduce measurement efficient schemes to certify entanglement of formation (E_{oF}=3.728±0.006). Combined with the existing multicore fiber technology, our results will lay a solid foundation for the construction of high-dimensional quantum networks.

Experimental High-Dimensional Quantum Teleportation.

Quantum teleportation provides a way to transmit unknown quantum states from one location to another. In the quantum world, multilevel systems which enable high-dimensional systems are more prevalent. Therefore, to completely rebuild the quantum states of a single particle remotely, one needs to teleport multilevel (high-dimensional) states. Here, we demonstrate the teleportation of high-dimensional states in a three-dimensional six-photon system. We exploit the spatial mode of a single photon as the high-dimensional system, use two auxiliary entangled photons to realize a deterministic three-dimensional Bell state measurement. The fidelity of teleportation process matrix is F=0.596±0.037. Through this process matrix, we can prove that our teleportation is both nonclassical and genuine three dimensional. Our work paves the way to rebuild complex quantum systems remotely and to construct complex quantum networks.

Experimental Transmission of Quantum Information Using a Superposition of Causal Orders.

Communication in a network generally takes place through a sequence of intermediate nodes connected by communication channels. In the standard theory of communication, it is assumed that the communication network is embedded in a classical spacetime, where the relative order of different nodes is well defined. In principle, a quantum theory of spacetime could allow the order of the intermediate points between sender and receiver to be in a coherent superposition. Here we experimentally realize a tabletop simulation of this exotic possibility on a photonic system, demonstrating high-fidelity transmission of quantum information over two noisy channels arranged in a superposition of two alternative causal orders.