An impedance matching circuit for an electroabsorption optical modulator addresses the conflicting concerns of being located electrically “near” the modulator, while being disposed on a separate piece part, by using an inductor as a low frequency impedance matching component, the inductor disposed in series between an off-chip high frequency impedance matching circuit and the electroabsorption optical modulator. By separating the impedance matching requirements into separate “low” and “high” frequency components, the series inductor may be used to provide the necessary low frequency impedance matching, while also forming the required physical separation between the electroabsorption optical modulator and the (conventional) high frequency impedance matching circuit.