Abstract: The optical pickup reads an information signal by emitting a light beam to an information recording surface of a recording medium having a recording track composed of information pits arranged for recording the information signal. The optical pickup is provided with: a light source which emits the light beam having linear polarization; an optical system which guides the emitted light beam to the information recording surface and further guides light that is emitted from the information recording surface based on the guided light beam, to an optical path different from an optical path to the light source; and a light-receiving device which receives the light guided by the optical system from the information recording surface. The optical system controls a polarization direction of the emitted light beam, with respect to a direction of the recording track.

Abstract: A grounded pickup body 40 and a flexible-printed circuit board (FPC) are provided 10. On the reverse side of the FPC 10, a plurality of protruding lands 30 is connected to a ground pattern. The FPC 10 is wrapped around the pickup body 40, and a part of the FPC 10 is fixed to the pickup body 40. Thus, the plurality of protruding lands 30 makes electrical contact with the pickup body 40. As a result, ground reinforcement of the FPC 10 can be efficiently attained at low cost.

Abstract: A reflective mirror 14 is inclined and placed with respect to an objective lens 16 and a photoelectric conversion element 15 for monitor is placed in the back side of the reflective mirror 14. The reflective mirror 14 is formed into a structure in which a semi-transmission film HM having predetermined reflectance and transmittance is formed on one surface of a substrate of a transparent medium. When a laser beam for information record or information reproduction is launched from semiconductor lasers 2a, 3 to the reflective mirror 14, the semi-transmission film HM splits the laser beam into a reflected beam and a transmitted beam and the reflected beam is emitted to the side of the objective lens 16 and the transmitted beam is emitted to the side of the photoelectric conversion element 15.

Abstract: The optical pickup reads an information signal by emitting a light beam to an information recording surface of a recording medium having a recording track composed of information pits arranged for recording the information signal. The optical pickup is provided with: a light source which emits the light beam having linear polarization; an optical system which guides the emitted light beam to the information recording surface and further guides light that is emitted from the information recording surface based on the guided light beam, to an optical path different from an optical path to the light source; and a light-receiving device which receives the light guided by the optical system from the information recording surface. The optical system controls a polarization direction of the emitted light beam, with respect to a direction of the recording track.

Abstract: Laser beams h1, h2 with different wavelengths emitted from semiconductor lasers 2a, 3 are incident to an optical path joint prism 13 and each of optical intensities of the laser beams h1, h2 is detected by a photoelectric conversion element 15 provided in an optical path integrated by the optical path joint prism 13 on which a semi-transmission film HM is provided and APC control of each of light emission intensities of the semiconductor lasers 2a, 3 is performed on a basis of each of detection results. As a result of this, the beam intensity of the laser beam h1 passing through the optical path joint prism 13 to be applied to an information recording medium and the laser beam h2 reflecting the optical path joint prism 13 to be applied to the information recording medium are controlled properly.

Abstract: Laser beams h1, h2 with different wavelengths emitted from semiconductor lasers 2a, 3 are incident to an optical path joint prism 13 and each of optical intensities of the laser beams h1, h2 is detected by a photoelectric conversion element 15 provided in an optical path integrated by the optical path joint prism 13 on which a semi-transmission film HM is provided and APC control of each of light emission intensities of the semiconductor lasers 2a, 3 is performed on a basis of each of detection results. As a result of this, the beam intensity of the laser beam h1 passing through the optical path joint prism 13 to be applied to an information recording medium and the laser beam h2 reflecting the optical path joint prism 13 to be applied to the information recording medium are controlled properly.

Abstract: A reflective mirror 14 is inclined and placed with respect to an objective lens 16 and a photoelectric conversion element 15 for monitor is placed in the back side of the reflective mirror 14. The reflective mirror 14 is formed into a structure in which a semi-transmission film HM having predetermined reflectance and transmittance is formed on one surface of a substrate of a transparent medium. When a laser beam for information record or information reproduction is launched from semiconductor lasers 2a, 3 to the reflective mirror 14, the semi-transmission film HM splits the laser beam into a reflected beam and a transmitted beam and the reflected beam is emitted to the side of the objective lens 16 and the transmitted beam is emitted to the side of the photoelectric conversion element 15.