Infrared optical field compression provides an effective route to control mode dispersion and spatial distribution. In free space or homogeneous media， infrared propagating modes are diffraction-limited and difficult to achieve deep-subwavelength field compression. Optical field compression requires dispersion control and structure geometry design. In recent years， advances in low-dimensional materials and micro-nano fabrication broaden the physical implementation path of mode volume modulation. This review classifies infrared optical field into two fundamental types based on axial symmetry， including out-of-plane compression and in-plane compression. Out-of-plane compression forms normal （axial） compression states through interface dispersion and boundary conditions. Representative mechanisms include surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs）， surface phonon polaritons （SPhPs）， and waveguide modes. In-plane compression suppresses lateral propagation through disorder-induced interference， defect states， or geometric compression. This review compares physical origins and characteristic spatial scales of different mechanisms and summarizes research progress in infrared photodetection， surface-enhanced infrared absorption， and light-emission modulation. Further discussion examines the potential of hybrid in-plane-out-of-plane compression for enhancing optical field compression and tailoring mode distribution， and outlines future research directions.