Comparison of multi-mode Hong-Ou-Mandel interference and multi-slit interference

Abstract: Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference of multi-mode frequency entangled states plays a crucial role in quantum metrology. However, as the number of modes increases, the HOM interference pattern becomes increasingly complex, making it challenging to comprehend intuitively. To overcome this problem, we present the theory and simulation of multi-mode-HOM interference (MM-HOMI) and compare it to multi-slit interference (MSI). We find that these two interferences have a strong mapping relationship and are determined by two factors: the envelope factor and the details factor. The envelope factor is contributed by the single-mode HOM interference (single-slit diffraction) for MM-HOMI (MSI). The details factor is given by $\sin(Nx)/ \sin(x)$ ($[\sin(Nv)/\sin(v)]^2$) for MM-HOMI (MSI), where $N$ is the mode (slit) number and $x (v)$ is the phase spacing of two adjacent spectral modes (slits). As a potential application, we demonstrate that the square root of the maximal Fisher information in MM-HOMI increases linearly with the number of modes, indicating that MM-HOMI is a powerful tool for enhancing precision in time estimation. We also discuss multi-mode Mach-Zehnder interference, multi-mode NOON-state interference, and the extended Wiener-Khinchin theorem. This work may provide an intuitive understanding of MM-HOMI patterns and promote the application of MM-HOMI in quantum metrology.