A frequency conversion apparatus includes a frequency generation circuit, which is based on a first semiconductor material having a first elemental composition and is coupled to generate one or more Local Oscillator (LO) signals. The apparatus further includes a conversion circuit, which is based on a second semiconductor material having a second elemental composition different from the first elemental composition. The conversion circuit is coupled to accept an input signal in a first frequency range and to convert the input signal to an output signal in a second frequency range by mixing the input signal with the one or more LO signals.