QCLs were first demonstrated in 1994. Since then, they have undergone fast development, both in terms of device maturity as well as new field of basic science, enabling the developments in various fields of research. Quantum Cascade Lasers are essential sources for IR photonics providing narrow linewidth and sufficient wavelength tunability, at the same time being electrically injected semiconductor lasers offering development of compact systems. Thus, they can serve high-end and upcoming applications. Prominent examples are monitoring and sensing in industrial process control, bio-sensing. There is a growing interest in application of QCLs to free-space optical transmission systems, potentially leading to optical links of higher resilience to weather conditions. A well-established field of research of photonics integrated circuits is also looking into possibility of employing mid-infrared lasers and solutions to demonstrate mid-IR PIC systems. The progress that photonic integration is currently undergoing may be compared to that of electronic integration nearly half a century ago. Its development will not only enable the transmission of huge amounts of information - particularly in optical data communication – but will also pave the way for large scale fabrication, the minimization of assembly processes, and the reduction in energy consumption. The purpose of the mid-IR PIC component integration technology is to enable the integration of individual components of the PIC system - in particular the Quantum Cascade Lasers with passive structures integrated on PIC.In this work, we will provide a brief overview of QCL technology and design issues as well as discuss selected developments of the recent research conducted in Łukasiewicz- IMIF, among them the coupled cavity and taper device geometries, as well as the progress of development of mid-IR photonic integrated circuits platform.
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