Patent ID: 8325580
Filing Date: 2012-12-04
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. An optical pickup device, comprising: a first light source which emits first laser light; a second light source which emits second laser light of a wavelength different from a wavelength of the first laser light; a diffraction grating which separates the second laser light into a main beam and two sub beams; a combining element which aligns an optical axis of the first laser light and an optical axis of the main beam with each other; an objective lens portion which focuses the first laser light and the second laser light on corresponding discs; a single photodetector which receives the first laser light and the second laser light reflected on the respective corresponding discs; an astigmatism element which imparts astigmatism to the first laser light and the second laser light reflected on the respective corresponding discs; and a spectral element into which the first laser light and the second laser light reflected on the respective corresponding discs are entered, and which separates the first laser light by diffraction thereof, wherein the spectral element is configured to separate the first laser light in such a manner that an area including only signal light of the first laser light reflected on a target recording layer in the corresponding disc is formed on the photodetector, and to suppress diffraction of the second laser light, the photodetector is provided with a first sensor group which is disposed at an irradiation position of the signal light of the separated first laser light, and a second sensor group which receives zero-th order diffraction light of the main beam and the two sub beams of the second laser light that has been transmitted through the spectral element without diffraction, individually, the second sensor group includes a four-divided sensor which receives the main beam, the four-divided sensor being disposed in an area surrounded by the first sensor group, and zero-th order diffraction light of the first laser light that has been transmitted through the spectral element without diffraction is irradiated onto the four-divided sensor in a state that an optical axis thereof is aligned with the optical axis of the main beam.