Coherence In Physics Two waves are said to be coherent if they have the same frequency (or wavelength) and are in phase ( or have a constant phase difference between them). The coherence of a wave depends on the characteristics of its supply. The light produced by lasers is coherent light. Light from light bulbs or the sun is incoherent light. A high coherence means high fringe visibility with excellent contrast (i.e. good black and white fringes or black and whatever color the light is) and low coherence means washed-out fringes and zero coherence means no fringes. Another necessary condition (for waves to be coherent) is therefore that both waves travel at the same speed. It can be well understood from Fig. (1) and (2). Fig. ( 1) shows a typical beam of light waves from an ordinary source traveling through space. It is a concept that establishes the limits within which a real light source can be considered ideal. It is a measure f the correlation that exists betwee