MID/QC Applied Substrate Series 7 - Light as Coherence Propagation: A Substrate First Model of Photonic Behavior

Conventional photonics models light as particle‑wave dual behavior propagating through space. In the MID/QC framework, light is reinterpreted as coherence propagation within the quantized substrate, not as an independent entity. This paper develops the substrate‑first model in which photonic behavior emerges from tension‑guided coherence channels, substrate alignment, and gradient‑driven propagation. The result is a unified architecture explaining reflection, refraction, interference, absorption, and emission as coherence‑level substrate dynamics rather than wave‑particle interactions. This work anchors the photonic branch of the Applied Substrate Series and provides the conceptual foundation for coherence‑native optical materials and routing.