Optical pickup device having a structure providing efficient light usage

Abstract

The optical pickup device according to the present invention includes: a light source which emits light at first, second and third wavelengths; an optical path combining unit which combines vectors of the light at the first, second and third wavelengths which is emitted by the light source, and matches optical axes of the light at the first wavelength and the light at the third wavelength; a light condensing unit which condenses the light from the optical path combining unit onto the optical information storage medium; a diffraction element which diffracts light at the first, second and third wavelength which is reflected from the optical information storage medium, in a first direction and a second direction respectively; a first photo detector which receives light at the first, second and third wavelength that is diffracted in the first direction by the diffraction element; a second photo detector which receives light at the first and third wavelength that is diffracted in the second direction by the diffraction element; and a third photo detector which receives light at the second wavelength that is diffracted in the second direction by the diffraction element.