Abstract: An optical head with a plurality of semi-conductor laser chips for use in reducing inclination or gradient of more than one beam presently falling onto a focusing lens is disclosed. To this end, a double mirror or alternatively beam reshaping means is disposed which has different reflection planes for permitting reflection of a plurality of laser beams incoming from the semiconductor laser chips.

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: An optical pickup device for a relatively thick disc and/or a relatively thin disk including first and second laser light sources emitting first and second light beams, a first grating splitting the light beams emitted from the second light source, a beam splitter changing optical paths of the light beams emitted from the first and second laser light sources, and an objective lens focusing the light beams passing through the beam splitter onto one of the discs. A photodetector receives and detects the light beams that proceed back after being reflected by one of the discs. A second grating corrects a position of a light spot formed on the photodetector after being reflected by the relatively thin disc or the relatively thick disc, wherein the second grating includes a pattern that is rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to a pattern of the first grating.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus conducts recording or reproducing information for an information recording plane of a first or second optical information recording medium and comprises a first light source and a second light source mounted on a same base board; a converging optical system; and a coupling lens. The converging optical system comprises an objective lens to converge a first or second light flux having passed through the coupling lens on a first or second optical information recording medium; and a diffractive structure to change a focal length in accordance with a wavelength of a light flux emitted from the first light source or the second light source.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device that provides an excellent reproduction signal and a stable servo control while preventing deterioration of S/N ratio caused by stray light. The optoelectronic device has a semiconductor laser (101) that emits light beams on an information-recording medium (105), a hologram optical element (102) having a diffraction grating region (108) and located between the semiconductor laser (101) and the information-recording medium (105), and a photodetector (106) for receiving light that is diffracted at the diffraction grating region (108) of the hologram optical element (102), among returning light beams from the information-recording medium (105), and the optoelectronic device has also a diffraction grating region (107) in the vicinity of the diffraction grating region (108) of the hologram optical element (102) so as to prevent stray light other than diffracted light from the diffraction grating region (108) from entering the photodetector (106).

Abstract: An optical pickup comprising: a diffraction grating, a beam splitter and laser beam guiding optical components that change direction of laser beams, which are placed on a light path constituted by a semiconductor laser that emits dual wavelength laser beams and an information recording surface of an optical disk, wherein a wavelength plate is provided on a light path between said diffraction grating and said semiconductor laser so that a laser beam irradiated on the recording surface of said optical disk becomes an elliptically polarized (including circularly polarized) beam or a beam having a polarizing plane that produces an angle of 30–60 degrees relative to a radius direction.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a holographic laser and an optical pickup, with which it is possible to read from and write to a plurality of types of optical disks with different read wavelengths, and to achieve a more compact apparatus. The holographic laser includes for example a package, two semiconductor laser elements and a photodiode for reading out signals accommodated within the package, a holographic element positioned proximate to or in close contact with the top of a glass window, and a wavelength separating element positioned proximate to or in close contact with the top of the holographic element. The holographic laser is integrally formed as a single component.

Abstract: In an optical pickup apparatus of the present invention, either a first laser diode emits a laser beam having a first wavelength or a second laser diode emits a laser beam having a second wavelength. An optical system focuses one of the two laser beams onto a recording surface of an optical recording medium. A photodetector unit receives reflection beams, which are reflected from the recording medium, to generate detection signals from the received reflection beams. A holographic unit has a first hologram suited to the first laser diode and a second hologram suited to the second laser diode, the first hologram provided to diffract a reflection beam of the laser beam of the first laser diode to the photodetector unit, and the second hologram provided to diffract a reflection beam of the laser beam of the second laser diode to the photodetector unit.

Abstract: An optical pickup head device includes a diffraction grating for generating zero-order diffracted light and at least first-order diffracted light and provides a tracking error signal with a DPP method. The diffraction grating includes grating patterns with a nonuniform period or phase. The size of the first-order diffracted light converged on an optical recording medium is larger in the direction parallel to a tangent to the track than in the direction perpendicular to the tangent. P1/P0>PW2/PW1 is established, where PW1 represents the power that is required to record information on the optical recording medium, PW2 represents the maximum power that allows information recorded on the optical recording medium to be reproduced without being erased, P0 represents the light amount of the zero-order diffracted light converged on the optical recording medium, and P1 represents the light amount of the at least first-order diffracted light converged on the optical recording medium.

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: Disclosed are an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus and an optical information recording/reproducing method for simultaneously optimizing a distance between lenses constituting a two-objective lens and an offset in focus control. The apparatus includes a first electromagnetic actuator and a second electromagnetic actuator for cyclically moving a first lens and a second lens in the direction of the optical axis thereof; and a position control circuit for performing, upon focusing operation, the positional adjustment of the first lens and the second lens after start-up of focus control, on the basis of reproducing signals obtained from an optical disk at both ends of the cyclic movement of the first and second lenses by the first and second electromagnetic actuators.

Abstract: An optical pickup unit includes a light source of semiconductor laser chips of different light-emission wavelengths; a plurality of holograms placed between the light source and an optical recording medium, the holograms including at least one non-polarization hologram having a substantially uniform diffraction efficiency irrespective of the direction of polarization of incident light and at least one polarization hologram having a diffraction efficiency varying depending on the direction of polarization of incident light; and a wave plate provided between the optical recording medium and the polarization hologram. The returning beam of a light beam emitted from a selected one of the semiconductor laser chips is diffracted by the corresponding one of said holograms to be received by a light-receiving element. The wave plate turns the direction of polarization of the returning beam to a different direction from that of the emitted light beam.

Abstract: An optical device for making light converge produces a convergent light beam with a satisfactorily great numerical aperture and acceptably small aberrations. The optical device has a plurality of diffraction gratings that each make light converge. The light shone into the optical device is passed through one after another of those diffraction gratings in such a way that the light is made to converge to a higher degree every time it passes through one of the diffraction gratings. The diffraction gratings may be all transmissive, all reflective, or a combination of both. The diffraction gratings are formed on a surface of or at an interface inside the optical device, and two diffraction gratings may be formed on a single surface. The light is made to eventually converge on the exit surface of the optical device so that the optical device functions as a solid immersion device.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from an optical information recording medium or for recording information onto an optical information recording medium, is provided with a first light source for emitting first light flux having a first wavelength; a second light source for emitting second light flux having a second wavelength, the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength; a converging optical system having an optical axis and a diffractive portion, and a photo detector; wherein in case that the first light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux, and in case that the second light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the second light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted

Abstract: An optical device includes a light-emitting element for irradiating light onto an information recording medium, a diffraction grating for splitting light emitted from said light-emitting element into a plurality of beams, a focussing member for focussing the plurality of beams onto the information recording medium, a deflection member for deflecting the plurality of beams after they have been reflected from the information recording medium; and a photodetector for receiving the plurality of beams after they have been deflected by the deflection member. The diffraction grating has a first grating region and a second grating region, which have different diffraction efficiencies. The zero-order diffraction light in the first grating region is used as the main beam for reproducing the information signal, and the +1-order or −1-order diffraction light in the second grating regions is used as sub-beams for reproduction of the tracking error signal.

Abstract: An optical tracking system is presented which aligns a recording head with a magnetic tape. The system relies on an optically detectable servo track on the back of the tape. The servo track is formed by repeatedly engraving, at spaced intervals, three co-linear marks perpendicular to the length of the tape. Laser light reflects off the marks, and passes through a ball lens that directs the reflected light on to separate light detectors, one for each mark. By recording characteristics of the reflected light, the detectors transmit information to the system that permits the recording head to be properly aligned with the tape.

Abstract: Substantially all of the laser light emitted from laser chip(s) 11 toward optical disk(s) 17 may be transmitted through polarizing hologram(s) 13 and may thereafter be transmitted through quarter-wave plate(s) 15, and after being reflected at optical disk(s) 17, may again be transmitted through quarter-wave plate(s) 15 and be incident on polarizing hologram(s) 13. Accordingly, where laser light is transmitted twice through quarter-wave plate(s) 15, the direction(s) of polarization thereof may be rotated by 90 degrees before it is incident on polarizing hologram(s) 13. For this reason, even if laser light is p-polarized when it is transmitted through polarizing hologram(s) 13 from laser chip(s) 11, it may be s-polarized when it is again transmitted through polarizing hologram(s) 13 after being reflected from optical disk(s) 17. Laser light, after being made s-polarized, may be diffracted by polarizing hologram(s) 13, which diffracts only s-polarized light.

Abstract: First, second semiconductor lasers and a photodetector are integrated in a laser package of an integrated laser unit. A composite PBS is so structured that generally 100% of s-polarized light derived from the first semiconductor laser is reflected while generally 100% of s-polarized light derived from the second semiconductor laser is transmitted. Then, return beams of s-polarized light of the first, second semiconductor lasers separated by the composite PBS 18 are converged on the same photodetector by the first, second polarization hologram devices. By doing so, the first, second polarization hologram devices are adjusted independently of each other, so that the offset adjustment of servo error signals for the first, second semiconductor lasers can be easily achieved in assembly process. Thus, the optical pickup becomes easy to assemble and adjust.

Abstract: An optical pickup device for a relatively thick disc and/or a relatively thin disk including first and second laser light sources emitting first and second light beams, a first grating splitting the light beams emitted from the second light source, a beam splitter changing optical paths of the light beams emitted from the first and second laser light sources, and an objective lens focusing the light beams passing through the beam splitter onto one of the discs. A photodetector receives and detects the light beams that proceed back after being reflected by one of the discs. A second grating corrects a position of a light spot formed on the photodetector after being reflected by the relatively thin disc or the relatively thick disc, wherein the second grating includes a pattern that is rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to a pattern of the first grating.

Abstract: A slider system have been developed to aid in the spacing between read/write heads and the storage medium, and a grating antenna amplifier has been developed to improve illumination spot size and polarization characteristics. The grating antenna can be attached to a grayscale slider to obtain a distance between the illumination spot and antenna that lies in the near field region.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a light source module which emits a light beam, a beam splitter which reflects or transmits the light beam emitted from the light source module, an objective lens which focuses the light beam passing through the beam splitter onto a disc, and a photodetector which receives and detects the light beam reflected by the disc, wherein the light source module includes a first light source and a second light source that emit first and second light beams having different wavelengths and are formed into a single module. The optical pickup apparatus further includes a first grating which divides the first light beam emitted from the first light source into three beams of the first light beam and transmits the second light beam emitted from the second light source, and a second grating which transmits the first light beam emitted from the first light source and divides the second light beam emitted from the second light source into three beams of the second light beam.

Abstract: The invention provides a pickup head used in an optical data storage system. The pickup head contains a diffractive optical element (DOE) stack on a semiconductor substrate. The DOE stack includes multiple diffractive lenses for providing several diffractive surfaces and a middle layer serving as a beamsplitter and servo-generating element for a light reflected from an optical storage medium. The middle layer is sandwiched by the diffractive lenses that are located on both outer parts of the DOE stack. The semiconductor substrate includes at least a laser source and several photodetectors. The middle layer serving its function preferably includes a polarization-selective DOE and a quarter-wave retarder oriented to rotate a polarization state of the laser source, so that only the light reflected from the optical storage medium is diffracted by the polarization-selective DOE.

Abstract: An optical pickup device includes a semiconductor laser for emitting forward and backward laser light from front and back emergent end faces thereof, focusing device for focusing the forward laser light emergent from the front emergent end face of said semiconductor laser onto an optical recording medium, a light-receiving element for signal reproduction for detecting return light from the optical recording medium, and a light-guiding system for guiding the return light to said light-receiving element for signal reproduction, said optical pickup device being provided with a light source unit having an arrangement in which said semiconductor laser and said light-receiving element for signal reproduction being incorporated in a common package and shielding device, disposed inside said package of said light source unit, for preventing the light emitted from said semiconductor laser from being incident upon said light-receiving element for signal reproduction.

Abstract: A light beam is applied to an optical disk through a first hologram and an objective lens. The first hologram has a first region that can diffract light and a second region that can diffract light. The light beam reflected from the optical disk is applied through the objective lens to a second hologram. The second hologram splits the light beam into a first light beam and a second light beam that have passed through the first region and the second region, respectively.

Abstract: For each channel in a parallel channel optical array, a diffractive optical arrangement (DOA) includes an input region that is configured to pass a first portion of an input beam to an output region for data transmissions and to diffract and direct a second portion to a detection region for monitoring. The input region includes the diffractive features of a computer generated hologram (CGH) or a grating for diffracting. Alternatively, the input region is coupled to the CGH or grating. Moreover, the DOA includes at least one reflective region for redirecting the second portion. In one embodiment, the DOA includes a separate active surface for each channel of the array. Alternatively, the DOA has a singular active surface that is positioned to interact with all the channels. Optical power output from the second portion is monitored to generate feedback signals for adjusting the input current to each laser. Additionally, optical power output from sensed temperature is monitored to generate feedback signals.

Abstract: An optical pickup device having a lead frame package and a detecting unit is provided. The lead frame package includes a sub-mount, a light source mounted on the sub-mount and emitting a beam, a reflecting element disposed to direct the beam toward an optical medium, a transmission-type diffraction gating element dividing the beam into three beams, and a hologram optical element diffracting the beams reflected from the optical medium, the lead frame package having an opening defined by the hologram optical element, the bottom of the lead frame package, and side walls of the lead frame package. The detecting unit having a substrate and a photo diode mounted on the substrate is disposed within the opening of the lead frame package. After the detecting unit is adjusted with respect to the lead frame package to a position to accurately receive the reflected beams from the hologram optical element, the detecting unit is fixed to the lead frame package.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light-emitting element for irradiating light onto an information recording medium, a diffraction grating for splitting light emitted from said light-emitting element into a plurality of beams, a focussing member for focussing the plurality of beams onto the information recording medium, a deflection member for deflecting the plurality of beams after they have been reflected from the information recording medium; and a photodetector for receiving the plurality of beams after they have been deflected by the deflection member. The diffraction grating has a first grating region and a second grating region, which have different diffraction efficiencies. The zero-order diffraction light in the first grating region is used as the main beam for reproducing the information signal, and the +1-order or −1-order diffraction light in the second grating regions is used as sub-beams for reproduction of the tracking error signal.

Abstract: An optical pickup device is equipped with a first light source that emits a first laser beam, a second light source that emits a second laser beam having a wavelength shorter than a wavelength of the first laser beam, and a common light path that conducts the first laser beam and the second laser beam emitted from the respective light sources to an optical recording medium. The optical pick up device includes a first diffraction grating and a second diffraction grating disposed on the common light path arranged in this order from the first and second light sources. The first diffraction grating diffracts the first laser beam and generates three beams for detecting tracking error, and transmits the second laser beam without diffracting the second laser beam, and the second diffraction grating diffracts the second laser beam and generates three beams for detecting tracking error, and transmits the first laser beam without diffracting the first laser beam.

Abstract: A hologram 48 as optical path branching element has two hologram areas 48b and 48c for diffracting a return light beam into different directions, and a boundary 48a between them is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction corresponding to the direction of radius of the optical disc 11. The light diffracted by the one hologram area 48b is received by light-receiving sections A1 and A2 of a photodetector IC 44, and the light diffracted by the other hologram area 48c is received by light-receiving sections A3 and A4. With the above-described structure, a position deviation of an objective lens 27 at the time of access to a desired recording track on an optical disc 11 can be detected by finding the difference between the light quantity of the light received by the light-receiving sections A1 and A2 of the photodetector IC 44 and the light quantity of the light received by the light-receiving sections A3 and A4.

Abstract: An optical semiconductor device is provided that includes an emitted beam dividing portion (61) for dividing an emitted light beam from the laser element (51), a reflected beam dividing portion (71) for dividing a reflected light beam from an information recording medium (3) into light beams in different focused states, servo-signal-detecting photodetector elements (43, 45) for receiving the reflected light beams obtained by the division by the reflected beam dividing portion in a defocused state, a first diffraction grating that is provided in the emitted beam dividing portion and that diffracts the reflected light beam having passed through the reflected beam dividing portion, and a signal-detecting photodetector element (47) for receiving reflected light beams having been subjected to the diffraction by the first diffraction grating.

Abstract: A two-color holographic recording apparatus reduces error signals possibly included in reproduced digital data signals. The two-color holographic recording apparatus has first, second and third light shutters for passing or blocking gate light, signal light and reference light incident on a recording medium respectively, and a controller for controlling the respective states of the first, second and third light shutters.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus which, assuming that a distance from a first light source to a first grating is a, a distance from a second light source to a second grating is b, a first predetermined grating pitch is I, a second predetermined grating pitch is J, the wavelength of a first laser beam is &lgr;1, and the wavelength of a second laser beam is &lgr;2, satisfies &lgr;1/&lgr;2>(I·b)/(J·a), and which is capable of preventing a drop in the level of a tracking error signal resulting from decentering of an optical recording medium, even in the case of using either of optical recording media of different recording densities.

Abstract: A returning light beam from an optical disc is divided by a separating diffractor in the directions perpendicular to a track direction of the optical recording medium, and according to respective illuminances of the divided light beams, a deviation amount of an objective lens to an optical axis is detected. By feedback-controlling an objective lens driver by using the information of the detected deviation amount, the objective lens can be made to become stationary at the desired position in a short time. Accordingly, a time period required for the oscillation attenuation of the objective lens can be shortened, thereby, a time period for the reproduction can be shortened.

Abstract: A transmission diffraction grating body including a base material being substantially transparent with respect to wavelength &lgr;1 and having a refractive index n0; another base material being substantially transparent with respect to wavelength &lgr;1 and having a refractive index n1, which is formed on the base material having a refractive index n0; and a relief diffraction grating formed on the base material having a refractive index n1; wherein the refractive indexes n1 and n0 satisfy the relationship: n1>n0. Thus, the base material having a refractive index n1 can be formed of a high refractive index material, and when the depth of grating of the diffraction grating is set so that the diffraction grating diffracts the light with wavelength &lgr;1 and does not diffract the light with wavelength &lgr;2, the depth of grating of the diffraction grating can be made to be shallow, thus preventing the loss of the amount of the light with wavelength &lgr;1.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus has a simplified configuration for using a plurality of laser beams at different wavelength to reduce the size, and a laser diode chip for use therewith. An irradiation light path for leading a laser beam emitted from a light emitter to a recording medium is provided with an optical axis correcting element for passing a first laser beam and for diffracting a second laser beam having a wavelength different from that of the first laser beam to generate diffracted light which has the optical axis substantially matching the optical axis of the first laser beam. The optical axis correcting element is arranged at a position at which the center of a light intensity distribution of the first laser beam incident thereto matches the center of a light intensity distribution of the second laser beam incident thereto.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus is characterized in that the optical pickup apparatus comprises a light emission part 60 for emitting first and second laser beams having different wavelengths from each other, a grating 62 for generating a pair of sub-beams from the laser beam emitted from the light emission part, and a hologram 63 for generating plus and minus high-order beams from the laser beam reflected by a recording medium to guide the high-order beams to a light receiving part, and the light receiving part comprises a pair of three-division light receiving elements for receiving the plus and minus high-order beam generated from the first or second laser beam reflected by the recording medium, respectively, to generate a focus error signal by a beam size method and two pairs of sub-beam light receiving elements provided by one pair with respect to each of a pair of the three-division light receiving elements, the two pairs of sub-beam light receiving elements for receiving the high-order beams generated from

Abstract: A small optical pickup apparatus which can record and reproduce different optical discs by one optical pickup device. The optical pickup device is constructed by: a main portion having a first light source to emit a first laser beam, a second light source to emit a second laser beam having a wavelength different from a wavelength of the first laser beam, and a photodetecting portion to receive first and second return light of the first and second laser beams which are reflected and returned from an optical disc; and an optical axis coupling prism which is fixed to the main portion and has a first plane of incidence where the first laser beam enters, a second plane of incidence where the second laser beam enters, a plane of synthesis to make optical axes of the first and the second laser beams coincident, and a plane of emission to emit the first and the second laser beams which pass through the plane of synthesis whose optical axes are made coincident.

Abstract: The semiconductor laser device includes a signal light diffraction grating, and a light receiving portion having a pair of photodiodes extending as two strips with a parting portion or a zonal gap interposed therebetween and receiving a focus error detecting beam from the signal light diffraction grating. The light receiving portion is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the direction of diffraction grooves of the signal light diffraction grating. The pair of photodiodes is arranged such that a spot of the focus error detecting beam moves, due to temperature changes, in a range essentially limited to the parting portion therebetween. Thus, a semiconductor laser device and an optical pickup apparatus suppressing focus errors due to temperature changes and preventing reduction in signal strength can be obtained.

Abstract: An optical assembly suitable for use with an optical medium for the storage and retrieval of data, the optical assembly comprising: a source of illumination for providing a beam of optical radiation, an objective lens disposed in the optical path of the beam for redirecting the beam to the optical medium, and a diffractive optical element disposed between the redirected beam of radiation and the optical medium such that at least a portion of the redirected beam of radiation passes through a surface of the diffractive optical element and is reflected to the objective lens.

Abstract: A grating surface of a diffraction grating diffracts a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser device in ±1st order directions. The grating surface is formed in a rectangular or elliptic shape in such dimensions that a light spot formed on an objective lens by ±1st order diffracted beams is located in an aperture of the objective lens and not displaced from the aperture even if the objective lens is horizontally moved in a tracking operation. A grating surface of another diffraction grating has a width smaller than the width of an overlap region of a light spot on the diffraction grating corresponding to a part of a beam, diffracted in the +1st direction, entering an objective lens and a light spot on the diffraction grating corresponding to a part of a beam, diffracted in the −1st direction, entering the objective lens.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a multiple-beam holographic optical pick-up head, which has the advantages of the multiple-beam optical pick-up head and the holographic optical pick-up head and can increase the light usage efficiency. This invention uses the property that a polarized diffractive optical element can generate different optical effects for laser beam with different polarizations and places a polarized multiple-beam grating and polarized hologram on the optical path for splitting the incident light toward the disc into multiple reading beams by the multiple-beam grating. The returning laser beams reflected from the disc are diffracted and diverted by the hologram to reach a photodetector. Both the incident and reflective beams are diffracted once only; thus the light usage efficiency can be increased.

Abstract: An optical pickup of this invention includes a first laser beam source having a wave length of 780 nm and a second laser beam source having a second wave length of 650 nm wherein the first laser beam source and the second laser beam source are disposed in the vicinity of each other, emission lights from the first laser beam source and the second laser beam source are emitted along substantially the same optical axis and a reflected light from the information recording medium is returned along the optical axis; the first diffraction grating, the second diffraction grating and the light receiving device substrate are disposed in order, the first diffraction grating is substantially transparent for a wave length of 780 nm and diffracts a wave length of 650 nm, and the second diffraction grating is substantially transparent for a wave length of 650 nm while it diffracts a wave length of 780 nm.

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 invention provides a pickup head used in an optical data storage system. The pickup head contains a diffractive optical element (DOE) stack on a semiconductor substrate. The DOE stack includes multiple diffractive lenses for providing several diffractive surfaces and a middle layer serving as a beamsplitter and servo-generating element for a light reflected from an optical storage medium. The middle layer is sandwiched by the diffractive lenses that are located on both outer parts of the DOE stack. The semiconductor substrate includes at least a laser source and several photodetectors. The middle layer's function preferably includes a polarization-selective DOE and a quarter-wave retarder oriented to rotate a polarization state of the laser source, so that only the light reflected from the optical storage medium is diffracted by the polarization-selective DOE.

Abstract: In an optical pickup apparatus of the present invention, either a first laser diode emits a laser beam having a first wavelength or a second laser diode emits a laser beam having a second wavelength. An optical system focuses one of the two laser beams onto a recording surface of an optical recording medium. A photodetector unit receives reflection beams, which are reflected from the recording medium, to generate detection signals from the received reflection beams. A holographic unit has a first hologram suited to the first laser diode and a second hologram suited to the second laser diode, the first hologram provided to diffract a reflection beam of the laser beam of the first laser diode to the photodetector unit, and the second hologram provided to diffract a reflection beam of the laser beam of the second laser diode to the photodetector unit.

Abstract: A beam reshaping device includes first and second beam converting units having beam converging powers different in two orthogonal directions. The first and second beam converting units are arranged such that conjugate points correspond to each other in the two orthogonal directions, thereby reshaping the sectional form of a laser beam emitted from a laser light source, while effectively preventing occurrence of astigmatism. The beam reshaping device may be applied to an optical head device and which in turn may be used in an optical disk system.

Abstract: A grating surface of a diffraction grating diffracts a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser device in ±1st order directions. The grating surface is formed in a rectangular or elliptic shape in such dimensions that a light spot formed on an objective lens by ±1st order diffracted beams is located in an aperture of the objective lens and not displaced from the aperture even if the objective lens is horizontally moved in a tracking operation. A grating surface of another diffraction grating has a width smaller than the width of an overlap region of a light spot on the diffraction grating corresponding to a part of a beam, diffracted in the +1st direction, entering an objective lens and a light spot on the diffraction grating corresponding to a part of a beam, diffracted in the −1st direction, entering the objective lens.

Abstract: A tilt detection apparatus capable of detecting the tilt of the optical disk, provided with a laser for outputting a laser beam, a diffraction grating for diffracting the laser beam from said laser to generate a 0th order diffraction beam and +-first order diffraction beams which have the phase distribution equal to the phase distribution due to the wave front aberration generated on an optical disk when the optical disk is tilted, an objective lens for collecting said diffraction beams and exposing the beams to the optical disk, a photodetector for generating signals corresponding to said +-first order diffraction beams reflected at said optical disk, a signal generation circuit for generating the push-pull signals based on the generated signals, and a tilt detection circuit for detecting the tilt of the optical disk based on the push-pull signals.

Abstract: A point where a first diffraction grating and an incident optical axis intersect is named as first intersection point, lengths from the first intersection point to points where ±primary-order diffracted lights by the first diffraction grating intersect a light receiving plane are named as first-a(1a) optical path length, first-b(1b) optical path length, and an average thereof is named as first average optical path length.

Abstract: A grating surface of a diffraction grating diffracts a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser device in ±1st order directions. The grating surface is formed in a rectangular or elliptic shape in such dimensions that a light spot formed on an objective lens by ±1st order diffracted beams is located in an aperture of the objective lens and not displaced from the aperture even if the objective lens is horizontally moved in a tracking operation. A grating surface of another diffraction grating has a width smaller than the width of an overlap region of a light spot on the diffraction grating corresponding to a part of a beam, diffracted in the +1st direction, entering an objective lens and a light spot on the diffraction grating corresponding to a part of a beam, diffracted in the −1st direction, entering the objective lens.