Apparatus for switching modes based on quantity of light received in first section of a photodetector section and first plus second section for controlling a laser diode output

Abstract

An optical-disk drive device is provided which is capable of executing recording or reproduction at a plurality of numerical apertures and keeping constant the quantity of light which is emitted by a light-emitting element. This optical-disk drive device includes: light-emitting elements; a beam splitter which allows a luminous flux that is emitted by each of these light-emitting elements to branch off to a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux; a photo-detector which detects a front light that has branched off at the beam splitter; an aperture restriction member; and a controller which controls the quantity of light that is emitted by each of the light-emitting elements, using a signal which is obtained by the photo-detector, in which the photo-detector has a circular first detection area in which an inner luminous flux of the first luminous flux is received, and a ring-shaped second detection area in which an outer luminous flux of the first luminous flux is received; and the controller controls the quantity of light, at the time of a large numerical aperture, based on the quantity of light which is received in the first detection area and the second detection area, and controls the quantity of light, at the time of a small numerical aperture, based on the quantity of light which is received in the first detection area.