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The next generation of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) instruments is dedicated to the detection of CMB B-modes. Instruments like QUBIC (QU Bolometric Interferometer for Cosmology) need components with state of the art properties at high frequency (>90 GHz) to minimise instrumental systematic effects. The Orthogonal Mode Transducer (OMT) is a critical front end component as it allows the discrimination of the polarisation mode of light. Superconducting planar technology seems very promising to improve its properties and miniaturisation. We present a planar superconducting OMT operating in the W band (75–110 GHz). Design and simulations have been performed using CST Studio Suite. Laboratory characterisations were obtained with two different cryogenic setups. We will present these two cryogenic setups, the calibration procedure and preliminary results for two OMT samples.

A controllable negative refraction device operated between 7 and 16GHz is presented. This compact device, which is composed of split-ring resonators and metallic wires including pin diodes, presents a controllable permittivity and a fixed permeability. The switching of the electromagnetic state is demonstrated from transmission measurements between 7 and 16GHz. The negative refraction of the material is verified from measurements at oblique incidence.

A new kind of metallic photonic bandgap (PBG) material which was obtained by mimicking natural forms was investigated. These natural-type PBG enable high transmission peaks to be obtained while maintaining a high quality factor. The proposed bandgap material is suitable for microwave and infrared applications.

The next generations of cosmic microwave background (CMB) instruments will be dedicated to the detection and characterization of CMB B-modes. To measure this tiny signal, instruments need to control and minimize systematics. Signal modulation is one way to achieve such a control. A new generation of focal planes will include the entire detection chain. In this context, we present a superconducting coplanar switch driven by DC current. It consists of a superconducting microbridge which commutes between its on (superconducting) and off (normal metal) states, depending on the amplitude of the injected current compared to the critical current. If the current injected inside the bridge is lower than the critical current, the phase of the signal passing through the bridge is tunable. A first prototype of this component working as a switch and as a phase shifter at 10 GHz has been made. The principle, the setup, and the first measurements made at 4 K will be shown.

A controllable, negative refraction device operated between 7 GHz and 16 GHz is presented. This compact device, which is composed of split-ring resonators and metallic wires, including pin diodes, presents a controllable permittivity and a fixed permeability. The switching of the electromagnetic state is demonstrated from transmission measurements between 7 GHz and 16 GHz. The negative refraction of the material is verified from measurements at oblique incidence.

The use of a prism made of a photonic band gap (PBG) material allows the appearance of anomalous refraction at forbidden frequencies. By creating some defects in this PBG-prism, this anomalous effect could be amplified.

A new type of a metallic photonic bandgap is proposed which has a wider forbidden frequency band than currently available photonic bandgap materials. Inspired by natural photonic bandgap materials, such as that in butterfly wings, the proposed bandgap material is suitable for microwave and infrared applications.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy is the standard treatment for cisplatin-eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Adding perioperative immunotherapy may improve outcomes. In this phase 3, open-label, randomized trial, we assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, cisplatin-eligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer to receive neoadjuvant durvalumab plus gemcitabine-cisplatin every 3 weeks for four cycles, followed by radical cystectomy and adjuvant durvalumab every 4 weeks for eight cycles (durvalumab group), or to receive neoadjuvant gemcitabine-cisplatin followed by radical cystectomy alone (comparison group). Event-free survival was one of two primary end points. Overall survival was the key secondary end point. In total, 533 patients were assigned to the durvalumab group and 530 to the comparison group. The estimated event-free survival at 24 months was 67.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 63.6 to 71.7) in the durvalumab group and 59.8% (95% CI, 55.4 to 64.0) in the comparison group (hazard ratio for progression, recurrence, not undergoing radical cystectomy, or death from any cause, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.82; P<0.001 by stratified log-rank test). The estimated overall survival at 24 months was 82.2% (95% CI, 78.7 to 85.2) in the durvalumab group and 75.2% (95% CI, 71.3 to 78.8) in the comparison group (hazard ratio for death, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.93; P = 0.01 by stratified log-rank test). Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or 4 in severity occurred in 40.6% of the patients in the durvalumab group and in 40.9% of those in the comparison group; treatment-related adverse events leading to death occurred in 0.6% in each group. Radical cystectomy was performed in 88.0% of the patients in the durvalumab group and in 83.2% of those in the comparison group. Perioperative durvalumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy led to significant improvements in event-free survival and overall survival as compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone. (Funded by AstraZeneca; NIAGARA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03732677; EudraCT number, 2018-001811-59.).