Information processing through lossy optical quantum networks

Optical networks with linear optical elements can behave both semi-classically and quantum mechanically dependent on the initial state and the detection. Hence it is possible to move from the semi-classical regime to the quantum regime (or verse visa) without changing the hardware. This gives us a convenient platform to investigate the quantum advantages of the photonic quantum extreme reservoir computation in both semi-classical and quantum regimes. We compare the information processing with this model for coherent light and single photons and discuss the validity of a hybrid approach of these two difference regimes.