Coherence and path indistinguishability for the interference of multiple single-mode fields

Abstract

A well-known result for the interference of two single-mode fields is that the degree of coherence and the degree of indistinguishability are the same when we consider the detection of a single photon. In this article, we present the relation between the degree of coherence, path indistinguishability and the fringe visibility considering interference of multiple numbers of single-mode fields while being interested in the detection of a single photon only. We will also mention how Born’s rule of interference for multiple sources is reflected in these results.