Abstract: When tracking a dual-layer optical disc by a differential push-pull method, the adverse effect of the reflected light from an adjacent layer, which produces stray light, on a tracking control signal is prevented. A split wavelength plate 20 is inserted in the optical path of the reflected light from the optical disc including the stray light from the adjacent layer so as to detect a region having no interference with the stray light with a four-quadrant detector, and then a push-pull signal by a sub-beam is formed.

Abstract: Provided is a recording and retrieval apparatus for a multi-layer optical disk. A multi-layer optical disk in which a plurality of recording layers and a single servo layer are combined to form a set is used. A spot for the servo layer and a spot for the recording layers are turned on in a time-sharing manner. Servo signal detection areas are formed discretely in the servo layer. The servo signal detection areas and data recording areas are provided so as not to overlap each other when viewed from the spot incident side. Thus, separation of data from each of the layers can be done by even a single photodetector without interference.

Abstract: An optical pickup for recording a hologram by using an angle multiplexing method. An optical beam is separated into two beams, a signal beam and a reference beam having different convergence/divergence degrees, by using an optical component such as a diffraction lens. The signal and reference beams are made incident upon the same objective, and the optical component or the objective lens is moved in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis, to thereby realize angle multiplex recording. If an optical information recording medium is inclined, the optical component or the objective lens is moved along the direction along which the optical information recording medium moved to change an angle of the reference beam incident upon the optical information recording medium and compensate for degradation of a reproduction signal.

Abstract: An interference type optical head and an optical disk device that can easily adjust an optical path length difference of a couple of lights, ensure higher signal amplification effect, and are suitable for reduction in size are provided in order to improve a regeneration signal quality with amplification of signal in the case where reflectivity of each layer must be lowered and relative noise for the signal increases because read speed is high in a multilayer optical disk. In view of essentially improving an S/N ratio of the regeneration signal in high-speed rotation of a multilayer disk, a plurality of interference phases are generated and an optical system for differential calculation has been reduced in size with an angular selective polarization conversion element in the optical disk device for amplifying the signal with interference of the light not radiated to the disk with the reflected light from the disk.

Abstract: In an information recording apparatus using a hologram, a signal area of the light flux to be recorded is secured to be as wide as possible and the optical power loss is depressed during reproduction process. For this reason, almost the entire surface of the spatial light modulator is allocated as a signal area and the reference beam is collected on a micro mirror placed on its optical axis.

Abstract: The adverse influence of reflected light from adjacent layers as stray light on a control signal or data signal is reduced when tracking a multilayered optical disc using differential push-pull method. The reflected light from the optical disc including stray light from an adjacent layer is once condensed with a condenser lens having little aberration and is then reflected by a reflecting mirror having a partial reflecting region. The resultant reflected light, which has the influence of stray light reduced, passes through a polarization beam splitter and becomes incident on a four-quadrant detector (for main beam) and a split detector (for sub beam) via a condenser lens having astigmatic aberration.

Abstract: A monocular holographic storage device or system to provide for compact recording and/or reading of data pages in a holographic storage medium. Also provided are methods for carrying out such data storage and/or data recovery using a monocular holographic storage device or system. Further provided are articles comprising holographic storage media for recording or for reading recorded data using such devices or systems.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus includes a multilayer information recording medium having a first layer containing an electro-chromic material, an electrode layer applying a voltage to the first layer to color the first layer, a second layer containing an electro-chromic material, a unit for applying the voltage to the first layer, a first optical irradiating unit for irradiating a first optical spot onto the first layer, and a second optical irradiating unit for irradiating a second optical spot onto the second layer after irradiating the first optical spot onto the first layer.

Abstract: In multilayer optical discs and high-speed optical discs, the amount of reproduction light per unit time greatly decreases and the reproduction signal quality (S/N) significantly drops due to the low effective reflectivity and the short read time of the medium. These problems are solved by causing reflected signal light from the optical disc and reference light, which is separated from the same light source and introduced into a detector without being shone onto the optical disc, to interference with each other on the detector. Detector outputs having four different interference states are simultaneously obtained, the interference states being displaced at intervals of 90° in terms of the phase relationship between the reference light and the signal. Based on a operation of the four detector outputs, a reproduction signal can be obtained that is stable at all times and amplified with high quality, even when there is an optical path length variation due to disc undulations.

Abstract: Provided is an optical disc apparatus including an interference-type optical disk signal detection system, which allows an optical path difference between two kinds of light to be controlled easily, which has a high signal amplification effect, and which is suitable for miniaturization of an optical system. An interference-type optical system is integrally formed to stabilize an optical path difference between signal light and reference light. At the same time, means for controlling an optical path length of the reference light is attached to a reference mirror, and thereby controls signal amplitude so as to be constantly set the maximum in response to a change in the optical path length with time due to a variation in the thickness of a cover layer of an optical disk, a temperature and the like. Moreover, the optical system is miniaturized by using a Twyman-Green type interference optical system.

Abstract: The amount of reflected light from an adjacent layer in a multilayer optical disc is reduced by means of a combination of half-wave plates having different optical axes and a flat mirror. The polarization direction of the reflected light from a target layer is changed without changing the polarization direction of reflected light from the adjacent layer so as to detect a signal from the target layer alone. Because no stray light is introduced into the tracking error signal or focus signal, the laser light irradiated position can be controlled with high accuracy. This makes it possible to accurately determine the laser irradiated position during reading and writing, thereby enhancing signal quality. Because no reflected light from the adjacent layer is introduced into the data signal, a data signal with reduced error can be obtained.

Abstract: An integrated optical head records and reproduces information to and from optical discs of different types, including CD and DVD, with use of a single information recording/reproducing apparatus. The optical head has a plurality of semiconductor lasers of different wavelengths integrated by index alignment onto a substrate formed with an optoelectric integrated circuit, photodetection patterns, and a reflecting mirror.

Abstract: In the past there has been a problem that on a detection surface the influence of interference causes a defocusing signal to degrade, narrowing the range in which spherical aberration can be stably detected. Accordingly, a diffraction grating is used to focus the inner and outer sides of luminous flux on separate optical detectors before the optical flux is focused on an optical detector and defocusing signals are independently calculated to find the difference therebetween, thereby providing a spherical aberration signal. This makes it possible to detect spherical aberration signals more stably.

Abstract: There is provided a compact optical disc apparatus having a small footprint actuator. A tracking coil of a swing arm-type actuator is disposed substantially perpendicular to an arm and on the opposite side to an optical disc loading slot with respect to the line connecting the center of rotation of the optical disc to the center of swing movement of the actuator. A pair of permanent magnets are disposed such that they face the tracking coil and they are opposite in polarity. The tracking coil is disposed on both the permanent magnets such that the tracking coil straddles the boundary of the pair of permanent magnets.

Abstract: An optical reproducing apparatus that uses a hologram laser module and is applicable to a DVD Multi drive, wherein five sub spots of light in total that are most suitable to perform the differential push-pull tracking both for DVD-RAM and for DVD-R/RW are irradiated on the disk, respectively, and influence of several sub spots that are unnecessary in recording and reproducing a disk is canceled out by calculation, to realize an optical head that is compatible with the DVD Multi drive using a hologram laser module, and thereby providing a small-size, high-performance optical reproducing apparatus.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus for correcting astigmatism that influences the read/ write. If there is astigmatism, and auto-focus and tracking control are in operation, then a push-pull signal amplitude and a 2T signal amplitude vary with the variation of an amount of spherical aberration, resulting in two cases. In one case, the amount of spherical aberration to give the maximum value of push-pull signal amplitude agrees with the amount of spherical aberration to give the maximum value of 2T signal amplitude, and in the other case the two amounts do not agree. If there is no astigmatism, two amounts agree each other. If there in no agreement, then correction is made by using an astigmatism correcting element until the agreement is reached between the two. In the case where two amounts agree, specification is made for the existence and angle of astigmatism, and correction is made by using focus error signals from adjacent tracks.

Abstract: Disclosed here is a method for solving a conventional problem that no spherical aberration signal can be detected from any push-pull signal that is easy to adjust an object photodetector when a differential push-pull signal is obtained. To achieve the above object, sub-beams used to detect a differential push-pull signal are defocused from the main beam and spherical aberration signals are detected and the compensation of the spherical aberration is started while tracking controlling is off and detection of spherical aberration signals is held while the tracking controlling is on. The present invention can thus obtain both of the spherical aberration signal and the differential push-pull signal at the same time with use of the conventional detection system.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical head includes joining of a first substrate on which a plurality of lenses are formed in an array, a second substrate on which a plurality of prisms and mirrors are formed in an array, and a third substrate on which a plurality of detectors and light sources are formed in an array, after positioning of the individual substrates, and cutting the joined substrates along the rows and columns of the array.

Abstract: A small-sized optical disc drive includes one voice coil motor magnet within which a tracking coil and two focusing coils are disposed such that the tracking coil straddles the two poles of permanent magnets that are adjacently disposed. The two focusing coils are disposed on either side of the tracking coil, with each of the two focusing coils being only disposed over one of the permanent magnets.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of making a mold for manufacturing a microlens having a smooth surface and an arbitrary aspherical surface, or more specifically, an aspheric microlens of dimensions such that an aperture is equal to or less than 1 mm and a thickness is equal to or more than 0.5 mm. A mask layer having plural circular apertures with different sizes formed therein for a mold for one lens is formed on a silicon substrate. Plural holes are formed for the lens in the silicon substrate by applying anisotropic dry etching to a surface to be processed, which is the surface having the mask layer formed thereon. The depths of the respective holes vary depending on the sizes of the circular apertures. Isotropic etching is performed to remove sidewalls of the plural holes with different depths formed in the silicon substrate, thereby merging the holes into one hole corresponding to the lens.