Abstract: An optical pickup device has an astigmatism element which imparts astigmatism to reflected light of laser light reflected on a recording layer, and a spectral element into which the reflected light is entered, and which separates the reflected light. The spectral element is divided into six second areas by a straight line in parallel to a first direction, a straight line in parallel to a second direction, and a first area having a predetermined width and formed along a straight line in parallel to a third direction inclined from the first direction by 45 degrees. The spectral element is configured to guide the reflected light passing through the six second areas to corresponding sensors on a photodetector while making propagating directions of the reflected light different from each other, and to avoid guiding the reflected light entered into the first area to the sensors.

Abstract: A spectral element separates first laser light in such a manner that an area including only signal light as reflected first laser light is formed on a photodetector. The photodetector is provided with a first sensor group which is disposed at an irradiation position of signal light of the separated first laser light, and a second sensor group which receives zero-th order diffraction light of a main beam and two sub beams of second laser light that has been transmitted through the spectral element. The second sensor group includes a four-divided sensor which receives the main beam. The four-divided sensor is disposed in an area surrounded by the first sensor group. Zero-th order diffraction light of the first laser light that has been transmitted through the spectral element is irradiated onto the four-divided sensor.

Abstract: An optical system of an optical pickup device includes an astigmatism element which imparts astigmatism to BD light reflected on BD and CD light reflected on CD, and a spectral element which disperses four light fluxes of BD light and four light fluxes of CD light by diffraction, the four light fluxes of BD light and the four light fluxes of CD light being obtained by dividing the BD light reflected on the BD and the CD light reflected on the CD by a first straight line parallel to a converging direction by the astigmatism element, and a second straight line perpendicular to the first straight line. A photodetector of the optical pickup device is provided with first and second sensor groups for respectively receiving the four light fluxes of BD light and the four light fluxes of CD light dispersed by the spectral element.

Abstract: A recording medium includes at least one recording layer on which information is recorded by multi-photon absorption, and a servo layer disposed in a laminated direction with respect to the recording layer and having a track for guiding a beam spot of laser light having a first wavelength and a beam spot of laser light having a second wavelength along a scanning trajectory. The servo layer and the at least one recording layer constitute a set of layers, and a plurality of sets of layers is formed in the laminated direction. The servo layer is made of a material having a high reflectance with respect to laser light having a third wavelength for generating a servo signal, and low reflectances with respect to the laser light having the first wavelength and the laser light having the second wavelength.

Abstract: An optical pickup device is provided with a spectral element which imparts diffraction in such a manner that four light fluxes of the first laser light are separated from each other, when a light flux of the first laser light and a light flux of the second laser light reflected on a recording medium having laminated recording layers and servo layers are divided into four by a first straight line in parallel to a converging direction by an astigmatism element, and a second straight line perpendicular to the first straight line, and that the four light fluxes of the first laser light propagate on an outer side than the light flux of the second laser light; and a photodetector including a first sensor group which receives the first laser light, and a second sensor group which receives the second laser light.

Abstract: Two light flux areas are disposed in a direction along which a pair of vertically opposite angles defined by first and second straight lines are aligned, and the other two light flux areas are disposed in a direction along which the other pair of vertically opposite angles are aligned. A spectral element sets propagating directions of divided elements of each of light fluxes obtained by dividing each of the light fluxes by a third straight line intersecting with the first and second straight lines by an angle of 45 degrees, or by a fourth straight line orthogonal to the third straight line to disperse the divided elements on a photodetector. The photodetector is provided with sensors which individually receive the divided elements of the light fluxes.

Abstract: An astigmatism element converges laser light in first and second directions to generate focal lines. A spectral element makes propagating directions of light fluxes entered into first through fourth areas different from each other to disperse the four light fluxes from each other. The direction along which the first and second areas are aligned is in parallel to a direction of a track image of a recording medium projected onto the spectral element. Each of the first and second areas has a surface area larger than a surface area of each of the third and fourth areas, and a boundary portion between the first and second areas, and the third and fourth areas includes a straight portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the track image.

Abstract: A recording medium includes: at least one recording layer on which information is recorded by multi-photon absorption; and a servo layer disposed in a laminated direction with respect to the recording layer and having a track for guiding a beam spot of laser light having a first wavelength and a beam spot of laser light having a second wavelength along a scanning trajectory, wherein the servo layer and the at least one recording layer constitute a set of layers, and a plurality of sets of layers is formed in the laminated direction.

Abstract: An optical pickup device includes: a first light source for emitting recording laser light; a second light source for emitting reproducing laser light having a wavelength different from a wavelength of the recording laser light; an objective lens for converging the recording laser light and the reproducing laser light. A quarter wavelength plate is disposed between the first light source and the second light source, and the objective lens. A wavelength-selective polarized beam splitter is disposed between the quarter wavelength plate, and the first light source and the second light source. The reproducing laser light alone out of the recording laser light and the reproducing laser light reflected on recording medium is guided to a photodetector.

Abstract: An optical pickup device imparts different astigmatisms from each other to light fluxes in four light flux areas formed around an optical axis of laser light, out of the laser light reflected on a disc. The optical pickup device also changes the propagating directions of the light fluxes in the light flux areas to separate the light fluxes in the light flux areas each other. A signal light area where only signal light exists is defined on a detection surface of a photodetector. Eight sensing portions are arranged at a position corresponding to the signal light area. According to this arrangement, only the signal light is received by the sensing portions to thereby suppress deterioration of a detection signal resulting from stray light. Further, a push-pull signal, whose DC component is suppressed, is obtained by computing an output from the eight sensing portions by a predetermined formula.

Abstract: A first laser light source emits first laser light of a predetermined wavelength, and a second laser light source emits second laser light of a wavelength different from the wavelength of the first laser light. Reflected light of the first and second laser light is entered into an astigmatism portion. The astigmatism portion generates first and second focal lines. A light separating portion separates light fluxes of the reflected light of the first and second laser light from each other, the light fluxes obtained by dividing the reflected light of the first and second laser light into four light fluxes. The light separating portion is constituted of at least one prism having plural slopes, and the photodetector is provided with a common sensor portion which receives the light fluxes of the reflected light of the first and second laser light.

Abstract: An astigmatism element converges reflected light to generate focal lines, and a light separating element separates light fluxes of the reflected light entered into four first areas from each other. Two of the first areas are disposed in a direction along which a pair of vertically opposite angles defined by first and second straight lines are aligned, and the other two of the first areas are disposed in a direction along which the other pair of vertically opposite angles are aligned. Each of the four first areas is divided into two segment areas by a second area. The reflected light to be entered into the second area is guided to a position on the outside of sensors of a photodetector, and light fluxes of the reflected light to be entered into the paired segment areas are irradiated, on the photodetector, at positions away from each other.

Abstract: An optical pickup device includes a photodetector which receives laser light reflected on a recording medium, and an optical system which guides laser light to the photodetector as convergent light. A light transmitting plate which imparts astigmatism to the laser light is disposed between the optical system and the photodetector with an inclination with respect to an optical axis of the laser light. The optical pickup device further includes an optical element which separates four light fluxes of the laser light from each other. The four light fluxes are obtained by dividing the laser light by two straight lines respectively in parallel to a first focal line direction of the laser light transmitted through the light transmitting plate, and a second focal line direction orthogonal to the first focal line direction.

Abstract: An astigmatism element converges laser light in first and second directions to generate focal lines. A spectral element makes propagating directions of light fluxes entered into first through fourth areas different from each other to disperse the four light fluxes from each other. The direction along which the first and second areas are aligned is in parallel to a direction of a track image of a recording medium projected onto the spectral element. Each of the first and second areas has a surface area larger than a surface area of each of the third and fourth areas, and a boundary portion between the first and second areas, and the third and fourth areas includes a straight portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the track image.

Abstract: Two light flux areas are disposed in a direction along which a pair of vertically opposite angles defined by first and second straight lines are aligned, and the other two light flux areas are disposed in a direction along which the other pair of vertically opposite angles are aligned. A spectral element sets propagating directions of divided elements of each of light fluxes obtained by dividing each of the light fluxes by a third straight line intersecting with the first and second straight lines by an angle of 45 degrees, or by a fourth straight line orthogonal to the third straight line to disperse the divided elements on a photodetector. The photodetector is provided with sensors which individually receive the divided elements of the light fluxes.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus changes a propagation direction of luminous fluxes, out of a laser light reflected by a disc, in four luminous flux regions set about a laser optical axis so as to mutually disperse these luminous fluxes. A signal light region in which only a signal light is present appears on a detection surface of a photodetector. A plurality of sensors for a signal light are placed at positions irradiated with the signal light within the region. When an arithmetic process is performed on a detection signal outputted from each sensor, a DC component occurring in a tracking error signal is suppressed.

Abstract: An optical pickup device has an astigmatism element which imparts astigmatism to reflected light of laser light reflected on a recording layer, and a spectral element into which the reflected light is entered, and which separates the reflected light. The spectral element is divided into six second areas by a straight line in parallel to a first direction, a straight line in parallel to a second direction, and a first area having a predetermined width and formed along a straight line in parallel to a third direction inclined from the first direction by 45 degrees. The spectral element is configured to guide the reflected light passing through the six second areas to corresponding sensors on a photodetector while making propagating directions of the reflected light different from each other, and to avoid guiding the reflected light entered into the first area to the sensors.

Abstract: An optical pickup device has an astigmatism element which imparts astigmatism to reflected light of laser light reflected on a recording layer, and a spectral element into which the reflected light is entered, and which separates the reflected light. The spectral element is divided into four third areas by a first area having a certain width and formed along a straight line in parallel to a first direction, and by a second area having a certain width and formed along a straight line in parallel to a second direction. The spectral element is configured to guide the reflected light passing through the four third areas to respective corresponding sensors on a photodetector while making propagating directions of the reflected light different from each other, and to avoid guiding the reflected light entered into the first area and into the second area to the sensors.

Abstract: An optical pickup device radiates laser light to a disc having a plurality of recording layers in a direction of lamination. The optical pickup device includes a laser light source, a collimator lens, and an objective lens. The collimator lens changes a spread angle of the laser light emitted from the laser light source. The objective lens converges the laser light having passed through the collimator lens onto the disc. With the laser light in a parallel state having passed through the collimator lens, if a distance f between the laser light source and the collimator lens and a distance L between the collimator lens and the objective lens are in a relation of f<L, the objective lens brings the laser light into focus with minimum spherical aberration at a designed focal position on an inner side of an intermediate position between the foremost and innermost recording layers.

Abstract: A monolithic red/infrared semiconductor laser device is joined to a blue-violet semiconductor laser device. The distance between a blue-violet emission point in the blue-violet semiconductor laser device and an infrared emission point in an infrared semiconductor laser device is significantly shorter than the distance between a red emission point in a red semiconductor laser device and the infrared emission point. A blue-violet laser beam, a red laser beam, and an infrared laser beam respectively emitted from the blue-violet emission point, the red emission point, and the infrared emission point are introduced into a photodetector after being incident on an optical disk by an optical system comprising a polarizing beam splitter, a collimator lens, a beam expander, a ?/4 plate, an objective lens, a cylindrical lens, and an optical axis correction element.