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.