Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Jiro Mimasa

Hideki Yoshinaka

Toshihiro Koga

Shigeki Takeuchi

Hidehiro Kugisaki

Kazuhiko Higo

Shogo Horinouchi

Syogo Horinouchi

Fumiaki Beppu

In an optical pickup, light, emitted from a light-emitting element, is transmitted through a first beam splitter film with polarization selectivity, and a zero-order diffraction beam and two (.+-.) first order diffraction beams are produced. These beams are applied in a condensed manner to an optical disk through a condensing element, and the return light beam from the optical disk is fed to a photodetector through a second beam splitter film with polarization selectivity, thereby effecting the recording and reproduction of information, the tracking and the focusing. A diffusion angle conversion hologram is provided between the light-emitting element and the first beam splitter film, and with respect to the diffusion angle conversion hologram, the relation between the diffusion angle of the incident beam and the diffusion angle of the outgoing beam is specified. With this arrangement, the light to be incident on the condensing element can have an ideal spherical wave free from a wave aberration, so that an image spot on the optical disk can be condensed into a diffraction limit, and besides by correcting the phase of the beam, a RF signal with a high C/N ratio, a stable focus error signal and a stable track signal are detected.

Method of manufacturing integrated optical pick-up

Optical pickup with conversion of diffusion angle of outgoing light

A light source beam is incident on an optical guide block and converted in its diffusion angle by a diffusion angle conversion film on a second inclined portion of the optical guide block, and reflected by a reflecting film on a first inclined portion. Then, the light is incident on a first beam splitter film on the second inclined portion and split into transmitted light and reflected light. The reflected light is focused an optical disk light reflected from the disc passes through the first beam splitter film, and then is transmitted and reflected by a second beam splitter film on a third inclined portion. This transmitted light is incident on a polarization plane conversion plate between the third inclined portion and a fourth inclined portion, so that P and S polarization components and are transmitted through and reflected by its polarized light splitting portion, respectively. The S polarization component is reflected by its reflecting surface toward light-receiving elements. The reflected light from the second beam splitter film is reflected by a focus error detection element on the second inclined portion, and an incident light-splitting point of the polarized light splitting portion is located between the center of the optical guide block and the light-receiving elements, thereby reducing a light amount loss and also increasing a Kerr rotation angle so that an RF reproduction signal with a high C/N ratio can be obtained.

Optical pickup incorporating an integrated optical guide member

Growing community of inventors

Fukuoka, Japan

Jiro Mimasa