  Research activities during the last decade have shown the strong potential of
photonic devices to greatly simplify ground based and space borne astronomical
instruments and to improve their performance. We focus specifically on the
mid-infrared wavelength regime (about 5-20 microns), a spectral range offering
access to warm objects (about 300 K) and to spectral features that can be
interpreted as signatures for biological activity (e.g. water, ozone, carbon
dioxide). We review the relevant research activities aiming at the development
of single-mode guided optics and the corresponding manufacturing technologies.
We evaluate the experimentally achieved performance and compare it with the
performance requirements for applications in various fields of astronomy. Our
goal is to show a perspective for future astronomical instruments based on
mid-infrared photonic devices.
