Abstract: An optical pickup device has a semiconductor laser emitting light which is in turn branched via a diffraction grating into at least three beams of light including a main beam and two sub beams which are in turn condensed via an objective lens on an optical disk at a guide groove and reflected by the optical disk to provide three reflections of light which are in turn received by detectors, each divided into two regions, respectively, to generate a tracking error signal. The diffraction grating is divided into three regions including a first region, a second region and a third region located intermediate therebetween, each having a periodical structure out of phase, the periodical structure having grating grooves in a direction determined depending on the phase of the second region to incline relative to a direction perpendicular to the guide groove of the optical disk.

Abstract: There is provided an optical pickup apparatus that can obtain a stable servo signal by reducing stray light generated by diffraction in a recording layer other than a recording layer on which light is condensed. A hologram element provided in an optical pickup apparatus for recording information onto a recording medium and/or reproducing information on the recording medium by use of light includes fourth and fifth divisions where at least first-order diffracted light among diffracted light beams obtained by reflection and diffraction on a recording layer other than a light-condensed recording layer on which light is condensed by an objective lens so as not to be directed toward first and second light-receiving elements for detecting focus position information and third to eighth light-receiving elements for detecting track position information.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a splitter, a light emitter, and an optical pickup apparatus which can realize a stable track servo. Because of the structure of an optical system including an objective lens (27) and a hologram pattern (25), even when the hologram pattern (25) is irradiated with a reflected light from one recording layer other than another recording layer in a focused state, first and second TES splitting portions (35, 36) are not irradiated with the reflected light from the one recording layer, but the reflected light is led to an axis vicinity portion (38) only. Accordingly, light reception by first and second TES light receiving portions (45, 46) is prevented, accurate track position information and deviation information can be positively acquired, and troubles such as the objective lens (27) being driven beyond a movable range can be eliminated.

Abstract: An optical pickup includes a hologram element. The hologram element is provided with a hologram pattern including a splitting section for focus which splits light used for the detection of an FES and a splitting section for tracking which splits light used for the detection of a TES. The splitting section for tracking is formed in a region excluding a region interposed between a first virtual straight line and a second virtual straight line. The first virtual straight line is drawn on the hologram element in parallel to an X direction and passes through an optical axis of reflected light entering the hologram element in a state where the objective lens is in a neutral position, and the second virtual straight line is drawn in parallel to the first virtual straight line, while being spaced at a distance d from the first virtual straight line.

Abstract: To read information from a target information recording surface reliably by canceling DC offsets in tracking-signal detection signals is provided. In effecting tracking servo by 3-beam method, auxiliary light receiving domains D3—1, D3—2, D8—1, D8—2 are provided. The auxiliary light receiving domain receives images formed by the light returned from a different information recording surface from the one targeted for reading. Sub beams of ± first-order diffracted light enter the light receiving domains D3, D8, D1, D10. With respect to the diffraction direction of the hologram, the auxiliary light receiving domains D3—1, D3—2 (D8—1, D8—2) are provided on both sides of the light receiving domain D3 (D8). Since signals are computed as: D8?(D8—1+D8—2); and D3?(D3—1+D3—2) with the internal connection, DC offsets can be canceled in RES signals (D1+D3, D8+D10) used in the DPP method.

Abstract: A pickup for a magneto-optical recording medium is provided, which improves quality of reproduced signals by eliminating a phase difference between the polarizations and is capable of coping with magneto-optical recording media of different recording/reproducing systems. A return light beam of light reflected by a magneto-optical recording medium is polarized and separated into ± first-order diffracted lights through a light-branching diffraction element provided between a light source and an objective lens. The ± first-order diffracted lights are compensated for their phases through first and second phase compensation elements so that there is no phase difference between the polarizations, and are, further, polarized and separated through the first and second polarization/separation elements, and are received by first and second light detectors.

Abstract: For controlling a wavelength of laser light of a wavelength-variable laser (step S0), an optical system or a hologram recording medium is moved (step S1) to attain a state in which a light beam enters a wavelength control pattern. Reference light that is the laser light is applied to the wavelength control pattern (step S2). Then, a light receiving element observes reproduction light from the wavelength control pattern (step S3). A wavelength of the reference light that is the laser light is minutely changed. A quantity of the reproduction light changes with the wavelength. The quantity of the reproduction light is monitored to obtain a specific wavelength ?0 (a rotation angle of a diffraction grating 52) maximizing the quantity of the reproduction light (step S4). The wavelength of the laser light of the wavelength-variable laser light source is adjusted (step S5).

Abstract: The optical miniaturized module includes a semiconductor laser for irradiating an optical disk with laser light, a diffraction grating for forming a main beam and two sub beams from the laser light, a polarization hologram for dividing reflected light from the optical disk, and a photodetector for detecting the reflected light. The polarization hologram includes a first parting line defined in a direction optically corresponding to a radial direction as the optical disk rotates. A main beam M incident area is divided with a boundary defined by the first parting line. A sub beam A incident area and a sub beam B incident area are each arranged avoiding the first parting line.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to attain stable tracking servo performance by suppressing an offset caused by a shift of an object lens or a tilt of a disk, despite the one-beam method which does not cause reduction in light quantity of the main beam. A diffraction grating is provided between a hologram and a light receiving section, and a diffraction efficiency of the diffraction grating is varied in a grating longitudinal direction. For example, if an incident light beam on the diffraction grating is shifted in the grating longitudinal direction, the quantity of received light in each light receiving section varies to cause offset. By performing tracking servo so as to cancel the change, it is possible to correct the offset, thereby attaining stable tracking servo performance.

Abstract: Regional borderlines that are the borderlines between the first region and the second region on a diffraction grating of an optical pickup partially overlap a group of y-axis parallel borderlines that are borderlines between pattern A and pattern B that are parallel to a direction parallel to the y-axis.

Abstract: A grating (3) including first and second regions (B1 and B2) through which the light beams, having wavelengths ?1 and ?2, respectively, pass, each of the regions including a region having diffraction grooves whose concavoconvex pitches are partially shifted so that a pattern is provided to cause each of the first and second light beams to have a partial phase shift. The pattern is set so that amplitudes of push-pull signals of the sub-beams are substantially cancelled in each of the light beams having different wavelengths. With this, it is possible to provide an optical pickup (i) having a plurality having different light sources in one package, (ii) capable of realizing low cost in the case in which the optical pickup carries out track detection using three beams with respect to any optical discs, such as DVDs and CDs, and (iii) capable of realizing simplifications of assembly adjustment and the pickup.

Abstract: An optical pickup device has a semiconductor laser emitting light which is in turn branched via a diffraction grating into at least three beams of light including a main beam and two sub beams which are in turn condensed via an objective lens on an optical disk at a guide groove and reflected by the optical disk to provide three reflections of light which are in turn received by detectors, each divided into two regions, respectively, to generate a tracking error signal. The diffraction grating is divided into three regions including a first region, a second region and a third region located intermediate therebetween, each having a periodical structure out of phase, the periodical structure having grating grooves in a direction determined depending on the phase of the second region to incline relative to a direction perpendicular to the guide groove of the optical disk.

Abstract: An optical pickup includes a hologram element. The hologram element is provided with a hologram pattern including a splitting section for focus which splits light used for the detection of an FES and a splitting section for tracking which splits light used for the detection of a TES. The splitting section for tracking is formed in a region excluding a region interposed between a first virtual straight line and a second virtual straight line. The first virtual straight line is drawn on the hologram element in parallel to an X direction and passes through an optical axis of reflected light entering the hologram element in a state where the objective lens is in a neutral position, and the second virtual straight line is drawn in parallel to the first virtual straight line, while being spaced at a distance d from the first virtual straight line.

Abstract: An optical pickup converts a laser beam from a semiconductor laser (1) into a parallel ray with a collimator lens (2), and divides it into a main beam (30), a sub-beam (+1st order component) (31), and a sub-beam (?1st order component) (32) with a gradient multiple-division type phase difference grating (3). After passing through a beam splitter (4), an objective lens (5) condenses the light beams on a track (61) of an optical disc (6), and the reflected light that has passed through the objective lens 5 is reflected at the beam splitter (4) and is guided into optical detectors (8A, 8B, and 8C) by a condensing lens (7). Accordingly, in a tracking error signal detecting method using the push-pull signals of the main beam and sub-beams, an offset produced by an objective lens shift or a disc tilt can be cancelled at low cost without lowering the efficiency of using light.

Abstract: There is provided an optical pickup apparatus that can obtain a stable servo signal by reducing stray light generated by diffraction in a recording layer other than a recording layer on which light is condensed. A hologram element provided in an optical pickup apparatus for recording information onto a recording medium and/or reproducing information on the recording medium by use of light includes fourth and fifth divisions where at least first-order diffracted light among diffracted light beams obtained by reflection and diffraction on a recording layer other than a light-condensed recording layer on which light is condensed by an objective lens so as not to be directed toward first and second light-receiving elements for detecting focus position information and third to eighth light-receiving elements for detecting track position information.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a splitter, a light emitter, and an optical pickup apparatus which can realize a stable track servo. Because of the structure of an optical system including an objective lens (27) and a hologram pattern (25), even when the hologram pattern (25) is irradiated with a reflected light from one recording layer other than another recording layer in a focused state, first and second TES splitting portions (35, 36) are not irradiated with the reflected light from the one recording layer, but the reflected light is led to an axis vicinity portion (38) only. Accordingly, light reception by first and second TES light receiving portions (45, 46) is prevented, accurate track position information and deviation information can be positively acquired, and troubles such as the objective lens (27) being driven beyond a movable range can be eliminated.

Abstract: An optical pickup can be provided, the optical pickup being capable of recording and playback of a plurality of optical disks having different specs by using light beams of different wavelengths, and further being suitable for integrating the semiconductor lasers and light receiving elements into a single package, by including: first and second semiconductor lasers adjacently disposed; a three-beam diffraction grating for generating three beams for tracking control; a second hologram element for diffracting light of the second semiconductor laser to guide it to a photosensor; a complex polarization beam splitter (PBS) for reflecting only light from the first semiconductor laser; and a first hologram element for diffracting light of the first semiconductor laser to guide it to the photosensor.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to accurately detect the amount of tilt in the light reflector to the optical axis of an output light with a simple configuration. A tilt sensing apparatus includes a light reflector, a light source, a condensing unit for condensing an output light from the light source onto the light reflector, and a light sensing unit for sensing the reflected light from the light reflector. An optical device provided in the condensing unit for varying the light quantity of the transmitting light has first and second optical device strips that are formed at the positions of axial symmetry about the optical axis and have a predetermined shift in the direction of a straight line of connecting the axis of the light reflector to the condensed position where the light emitted from the light source is condensed onto the light reflector by the condensing unit.

Abstract: An optical pickup converts a laser beam from a semiconductor laser (1) into a parallel ray with a collimator lens (2), and divides it into a main beam (30), a sub-beam (+1st order component) (31), and a sub-beam (?1st order component) (32) with a gradient multiple-division type phase difference grating (3). After passing through a beam splitter (4), an objective lens (5) condenses the light beams on a track (61) of an optical disc (6), and the reflected light that has passed through the objective lens 5 is reflected at the beam splitter (4) and is guided into optical detectors (8A, 8B, and 8C) by a condensing lens (7). Accordingly, in a tracking error signal detecting method using the push-pull signals of the main beam and sub-beams, an offset produced by an objective lens shift or a disc tilt can be cancelled at low cost without lowering the efficiency of using light.

Abstract: The optical miniaturized module includes a semiconductor laser for irradiating an optical disk with laser light, a diffraction grating for forming a main beam and two sub beams from the laser light, a polarization hologram for dividing reflected light from the optical disk, and a photodetector for detecting the reflected light. The polarization hologram includes a first parting line defined in a direction optically corresponding to a radial direction as the optical disk rotates. A main beam M incident area is divided with a boundary defined by the first parting line. A sub beam A incident area and a sub beam B incident area are each arranged avoiding the first parting line.