Abstract: There are provided an optical head and an optical information device capable of downsizing the optical head, and capable of improving the qualities of a focus error signal, a tracking error signal, and a reproduction signal. A light detector (120) includes a light-receiving unit (121) for receiving a reflected light beam from an optical disc, and a package (125) for covering the light-receiving unit (121). The package (125) has a plurality of light guides (124) formed on a light-receiving surface on the light beam incident side of the light-receiving unit (121), and for guiding a reflected light beam to the light-receiving unit (121), and a light shield (114) for shielding a region except for a plurality of the light guides (124) from light.

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: Provided is a lens holder comprising: a mounting hole into which a condenser lens part of the objective lens is to be inserted; a peripheral part which surrounds the mounting hole and on which a flange part of the objective lens is to be mounted; and three protrusions provided in the peripheral part to be spaced apart from each other and to protrude higher than a main surface of the peripheral part. Also provided is an optical pickup apparatus comprising the lens holder and an objective lens supported with a condenser lens part inserted into the mounting hole of the lens holder, and with the flange part being in contact with the three protrusions.

Abstract: An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus comprises: a focusing unit (11) which collects generated near-field light on an optical disc (1); a first detector (17) which receives light reflected by the optical disc (1) and outputs an electric signal according to the quantity of the received light; and a distance control circuit (22) which controls the distance between the focusing unit (11) and a light entrance surface of the optical disc (1), using the electric signal that is output from the first detector (17), and the optical disc (1) has at least N (N is an integer of 2 or greater) number of information layers, and a distance d0 from the light entrance surface to a first information layer which is most distant from the light entrance surface and a distance dn from the light entrance surface to an Nth information layer which is closest to the light entrance surface satisfy the relationship of dn?d0×(1/25).

Abstract: An optical pickup device according to the present invention comprises: a first mirror for reflecting a first light beam outputted from a first light source and letting a second light beam outputted from a second light source pass therethrough; a first object lens for converging the first light beam reflected by the first mirror on an information recording surface of a recording medium; a second mirror for reflecting the second light beam passing through the first mirror; a second object lens for converging the second light beam reflected by the second mirror on the information recording surface of the recording medium; and an achromatic lens for correcting an axial chromatic aberration of the second object lens generated by wavelength variation of the second light beam, wherein the achromatic lens is provided in an optical path between the first mirror and the second mirror.