Advanced Mid-IR Photonic Integrated Circuits Based on Monolithic Integrated Quantum Cascade Lasers and Detectors and Plasmonics

The mid-IR spectral range is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum often used to probe a multitude of fundamental molecular absorptions. Simultaneously, it also hosts multiple spectral transparency windows in the atmosphere that can be exploited for signal transmission in free-space telecommunication applications. An important step forward in the field is following the current trend of miniaturization towards mid-IR photonic integrated circuits (PICs), resulting in chip-scale solutions, e.g. for the previous applications. Mid-IR PICs enable unprecedented capabilities in real-time reaction monitoring [1] or compact (telecom) receiver systems. In this work, we will demonstrate the realization of advanced Mid-IR PIC devices by combining quantum cascade (QC-)technology with plasmonic waveguiding concepts, resulting in novel functional and still fully-monolithic devices.