Traveling-wave optoelectronic wavelength conversion is provided by
a monolithic optoelectronic integrated circuit that includes an interconnected
traveling-wave photodetector and traveling-wave optical modulator with a widely
tunable laser source. Either parallel and series connections between the photodetector
and modulator may be used. An input signal modulated onto a first optical wavelength
develops a traveling wave voltage on transmission line electrodes of the traveling-wave
photodetector, and this voltage is coupled via an interconnecting transmission
line of the same characteristic impedance to transmission line electrodes of the
traveling-wave optical modulator to modulate the signal onto a second optical wavelength
derived from the tunable laser. The traveling wave voltage is terminated in a load
resistor having the same characteristic impedance as the photodetector and modulator
transmission lines. However, the interconnecting transmission lines and the load
resistor may have different impedances than the photodetector and modulator.