Abstract: An optical pickup device is provided which is compatible with at least two types of optical disc standards having different NAs and which controls an effective NA when a light beam for an optical disc standard having a relatively small NA is converged, thereby forming a desired spot. An inner part 131B and an outer part 131F of an objective lens element 143 are provided with diffraction structures different from each other. A condition (1), DO11×DO12>0, and a condition (2), DO21×DO22<0, are satisfied (DO11 (DO21) is the diffraction order of the diffracted light beam having the highest diffraction efficiency among light beams of the wavelength ?1 (?2) diffracted by the diffraction structure on the inner part; and DO12 (DO22) is the diffraction order of the diffracted light beam having the highest diffraction efficiency among light beams of the wavelength ?1 (?2) diffracted by the diffraction structure on the outer part).

Abstract: A high-NA and thin objective lens which prevents occurrence of a crack during lens molding and can stably be molded is provided. The present invention is directed to an objective lens having an optical surface having power which is not negative. The objective lens is a single lens and is formed such that a flat portion which is provided at an outer peripheral portion and perpendicular to the optical axis is closer to a disc surface than the position of the top of an exit-side surface of the objective lens and such that the rate of change in sag of the exit-side surface is continuous across the entire region.

Abstract: An optical system for optical pickup includes a magnification conversion optical element moving along an optical axis direction in accordance with each of optical recording medium recording surfaces, and an objective lens element converging a light beam incident through the magnification conversion optical element, to form a spot on a corresponding one of the recording surfaces, and satisfies the following formula: 4.0×10?4<Mn/(tn?tc)×f<6.0×10?4. Here tc is the thickness [?m] of a recording-medium base material at which a third-order spherical aberration occurring when a parallel light beam is incident on the objective lens element is the minimum, f is the focal length [mm] of the objective lens element, and Mn is the imaging magnification of the objective lens element when a spot is formed through a thickness tn [?m]of the base plate.

Abstract: An optical element which has optical steps each providing a phase difference to transmitted light and has low light amount loss and a high efficiency is provided. The optical element includes a symmetry axis, a plurality of optically functional surfaces which are ring-shaped regions around the symmetry axis, and a plurality of wall regions connecting the optically functional surfaces to each other. The optically functional surfaces and the wall regions constitute the optical steps. On a cross-section taken by, as a cutting plane, a plane including the symmetry axis, the contour line of each wall region is substantially parallel to a light beam which is incident on the optically functional surface on the outer side and passes near the wall region. The maximum value of the angle between the symmetry axis and the light beam passing near the wall region is equal to or more than 25 degrees.

Abstract: An objective lens element having excellent compatibility with optical discs having different base material thicknesses is provided. The objective lens element has optically functional surfaces on an incident side and an exit side. At least either one of the optically functional surfaces on the incident side and the exit side includes a diffraction portion which satisfies at least either one of the following formulas (1) and (2): ?1×?2<0 (“×” represents multiplication)??(1), (sin ?2)/?22=?(sin ?1)/?1??(2), where ?1 is the diffraction angle of a light beam having a diffraction order providing the maximum diffraction efficiency at the wavelength ?1, and ?2 is the diffraction angle of a light beam having a diffraction order providing the maximum diffraction efficiency at the wavelength ?2.

Abstract: A compound objective lens, an optical head device, an optical information device, and an information processing device that can inhibit the occurrence of aberration even when a light beam source wavelength shifts from the designed value. A diffraction structure having a sawtooth or stepwise cross section is formed in the region (R10) and region (R20). The height of the sawtooth or stepwise cross section formed in the region (R10) provides a light beam, which has a predetermined wavelength, with a difference in optical path length of N times the predetermined wavelength, as compared with a case of propagation in air. The height of the sawtooth or stepwise cross section formed in the region (R20) provides the light beam, which has the predetermined wavelength, with a difference in optical path length of J times the predetermined wavelength, as compared with a case of propagation in air.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element includes a first optical part and a second optical part bonded to each other with a bonded surface therebetween configured as a diffraction surface. In this diffractive optical element, the diffraction order of diffracted light with the largest quantity of light out of diffracted light for one of a plurality of kinds of laser beams obtained on the diffraction surface is different from the diffraction order for at least another laser beam.

Abstract: An optical system for optical pickup, which optical system is used for performing recording, reproducing, and/or erasing of information on an optical recording medium and has a simple configuration, is provided. An optical pickup device 1 includes a collimator lens system 23, a beam expander 33, and an objective lens system 34 that includes an S-SIL element 27b. The beam expander 33 includes a lens element 33c that is supported so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis. By moving the lens element 33c in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, a coma aberration of a spot on a recording layer can be compensated in a state where the interval between a surface of an optical recording medium 28 and the S-SIL element 27b opposed thereto is maintained constant.

Abstract: An objective lens element which has excellent compatibility with optical discs having different base material thicknesses is provided. An objective lens element 141 has optically functional surfaces on an incident side and an exit side. Either one of the optically functional surfaces is divided into an inner part 131B including a rotational symmetry axis and an outer part 131F which is a ring-shaped region surrounding the inner part 131B. On the inner part 131B, a plurality of discontinuous steps are provided. The plurality of steps change in height in the same direction from the optical axis toward the outer part, and each of the steps causes a constant optical path difference longer than the wavelength ?1 to the first incident light beam 61 and causes a constant optical path difference shorter than the wavelength ?2 to the second incident light beam 62.

Abstract: An objective lens element having excellent compatibility with optical discs having different base material thicknesses is provided. The objective lens element has optically functional surfaces on an incident side and an exit side. At least either one of the optically functional surfaces on the incident side and the exit side includes a diffraction portion which satisfies at least either one of the following formulas (1) and (2): ?1×?2<0 (“×” represents multiplication) ??(1), (sin ?2)/?22=?(sin ?1)/?1 ??(2), where ?1 is the diffraction angle of a light beam having a diffraction order providing the maximum diffraction efficiency at the wavelength ?1, and ?2 is the diffraction angle of a light beam having a diffraction order providing the maximum diffraction efficiency at the wavelength ?2.

Abstract: An objective lens element which can obtain appropriate spot performance only by simple position adjustment, and an optical pickup device using the objective lens element are provided. In the objective lens element, an amount of a generated third-order astigmatism of a spot which is formed when symmetry axes of optically functional surfaces are located parallel to the normal line of a base plate and an incident light beam incident such that a central light beam thereof is tilted at 0.5 degree with respect to the normal line of the base plate is converged, is reduced to be less than an amount of a generated spherical aberration of a spot which is formed when the symmetry axes of the optically functional surface are located parallel to the normal line of the base plate and an incident light beam incident parallel to the normal line of the base plate is converged.

Abstract: An optical system for optical pickup includes a magnification conversion optical element moving along an optical axis direction in accordance with each recording surface and an objective lens element converging a light beam incident through the magnification conversion optical element, to form a spot on a corresponding recording surface of the recording surfaces, and satisfies the following formula. 4.0×10?4<Mn/(tn?tc)×f<6.0×10?4??(1) Here tc is the thickness [?m] of the base plate at which a third-order spherical aberration which occurs when a parallel light beam is incident on the objective lens element is the minimum, f is the focal length [mm] of the objective lens element, and Mn is the imaging magnification of the objective lens element when a spot is formed through the base plate having a thickness to [?m].

Abstract: A high-NA and thin objective lens which prevents occurrence of a crack during lens molding and can stably be molded is provided. The present invention is directed to an objective lens having an optical surface having power which is not negative. The objective lens is a single lens and is formed such that a flat portion which is provided at an outer peripheral portion and perpendicular to the optical axis is closer to a disc surface than the position of the top of an exit-side surface of the objective lens and such that the rate of change in sag of the exit-side surface is continuous across the entire region.

Abstract: An optical element which has optical steps each providing a phase difference to transmitted light and has low light amount loss and a high efficiency is provided. The optical element includes a symmetry axis, a plurality of optically functional surfaces which are ring-shaped regions around the symmetry axis, and a plurality of wall regions connecting the optically functional surfaces to each other. The optically functional surfaces and the wall regions constitute the optical steps. On a cross-section taken by, as a cutting plane, a plane including the symmetry axis, the contour line of each wall region is substantially parallel to a light beam which is incident on the optically functional surface on the outer side and passes near the wall region. The maximum value of the angle between the symmetry axis and the light beam passing near the wall region is equal to or more than 25 degrees.

Abstract: An optical element which can be shared by three wavelengths for BD, DVD, and CD and which is easily manufactured is provided. An objective lens system includes an optical element 1A and a converging lens element 1B. A first surface of the optical element 1A on an incident side is concentrically divided into a region 11 including a rotational symmetry axis, a region 12, and a region 13. On the optical element 1A, a periodic stair-like diffraction structure and a periodic sawtooth-like diffraction structure are provided. A second surface of the optical element 1A is divided into a region 21 including a rotational symmetry axis, a region 22, and a region 23. On the region 21, a sawtooth-like diffraction structure is provided. The converging lens element 1B converges light having passed through the optical element 1A, to form a spot on an information recording surface of an optical disc.

Abstract: An optical system for optical pickup, which optical system is used for performing recording, reproducing, and/or erasing of information on an optical recording medium and has a simple configuration, is provided. An optical pickup device 1 includes a collimator lens system 23, a beam expander 33, and an objective lens system 34 that includes an S-SIL element 27b. The beam expander 33 includes three lens elements 33a to 33c. By moving in an optical axis direction, the two lens elements 33a and 33b included in the beam expander 33 adjust a focal point of a spot formed within an optical recording medium 28, and compensate a spherical aberration caused by the difference in depth between recording layers.

Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging optical system having a function to adjust a stereo base, an imaging device that includes the stereoscopic imaging optical system, and a camera that includes the imaging device, are provided. The stereoscopic imaging optical system includes two imaging lens systems arranged in parallel, and two diaphragms arranged in the imaging lens systems, respectively. At least one of the diaphragms is decentered with respect to an optical axis to adjust the stereo base. Further, a condition (1.8?SBmax/(fT×tan(?T))?45, where SBmax is a maximum value of the stereo base, fT is a focal length of the optical system at a telephoto limit, and ?T is a half view angle (°) at the telephoto limit) is satisfied.

Abstract: A display apparatus 100 of the present invention includes: a memory 130; a display 101; an operation part 110; and a controller 150. The controller 150 controls the display 101, in the case where the image of image data acquired in the memory 130 is displayed as a stereoscopic image, such that the image of the image data acquired in the memory 130 is displayed as a planar image when an instruction for selection becomes receivable by the operation part 110.

Abstract: An objective lens element that can suppress occurrence of an aberration is disclosed. Sawtooth-like diffraction structures having different height and cycles (pitches) are provided on an inner part R21 and an outer part R22, respectively. A curved surface M211 extending at an intermediate level of recesses and projections of the sawtooth-like diffraction structure provided on the inner part R21, and a curved surface M212 extending at an intermediate level of recesses and projections of the sawtooth-like diffraction structure provided on the outer part R22 are smoothly connected to each other. Even when wavelength of the light source and/or the environmental temperature change, a phase shift does not occur between the inner part R21 and the outer part R22, and a decrease in diffraction efficiency and occurrence of an aberration can be suppressed.

Abstract: An optical pickup device is provided which is compatible with at least two types of optical disc standards having different NAs and which controls an effective NA when a light beam for an optical disc standard having a relatively small NA is converged, thereby forming a desired spot. An inner part 131B and an outer part 131F of an objective lens element 143 are provided with diffraction structures different from each other. A condition (1), DO11×DO12>0, and a condition (2), DO21×DO22<0, are satisfied (DO11(DO21) is the diffraction order of the diffracted light beam having the highest diffraction efficiency among light beams of the wavelength ?1(?2) diffracted by the diffraction structure on the inner part; and DO12 (DO22) is the diffraction order of the diffracted light beam having the highest diffraction efficiency among light beams of the wavelength ?1 (?2) diffracted by the diffraction structure on the outer part).