{
  "abstract": "We use the analogy between the quadrature operators in quantum optics and the phase-space coordinates in a mechanical harmonic oscillator to generalise the theory of linear optics beyond quantum theory. For this, we introduce a framework for analysing photonic circuits within generalised probabilistic theories based on quadrature operators. Using this framework, we ask whether phenomena like the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect, Mach-Zehnder interferometry are specific to quantum theory or also occur across a broader class of theories. We find the latter: the vanishing photon coincidences at the output of a beam splitter also occur for classical light and for a modified version of quantised light. Similarly, for Mach-Zehnder interferometry we find that there is no qualitative difference between quantum theory and these alternative theories. Our framework can serve as a foundation to study generalised theories of complex photonic set-ups and photonic quantum computers.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2609.37628",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ismaël Septembre"
    },
    {
      "name": "Matthias Kleinmann"
    },
    {
      "name": "Martin Plávala"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1t0nngc0c2f88.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2609.37628",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "1t0nngc0c2f88",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.37628",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.optics"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "quant-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3107|Quantum Mechanics and Applications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214920443",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2609.37628",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-29",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1t0nngc0c2f88.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:25:31Z",
      "native_id": "2609.37628",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.37628"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.optics",
      "subfield": "optics-photonics"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:quant-ph",
      "subfield": "quantum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Operational theory for photonic circuits: generalizing linear optics beyond quantum theory",
  "title_text": "Operational theory for photonic circuits: generalizing linear optics beyond quantum theory",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:25:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1t0nngc0c2f88",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}