Patent ID: 7672201

Claim:
A light-receiving element for receiving a 0-order beam and positive and negative first-order beams which are generated by diffracting and separating each of first light having a first wavelength and second light having a second wavelength emitted by a light source and which is converged on a first optical recording medium, a second optical recording medium, and a third optical recording medium and which is reflected from the first optical recording medium, the second optical recording medium, and the third optical recording medium, the element comprising: a first light-receiving region disposed based on the first wavelength and having a 0-order beam receiving area for receiving the 0-order beam generated as a result of diffraction of the first light, reflected from the first or the second optical recording medium, and first-order beam receiving areas for receiving the positive and negative first-order beams generated as a result of diffraction of the first light, respectively; and a second light-receiving region disposed based on the second wavelength and having a 0-order beam receiving area for receiving the 0-order beam generated as a result of diffraction of the second light, reflected from the third optical recording medium, and first-order beam receiving areas for receiving the positive and negative first-order beams generated as a result of diffraction of the second light, respectively, wherein: the first and the second light-receiving regions are disposed side by side and kept away from each other at an interval LB in a direction tangential to a track of the first, the second, or the third optical recording medium, based on an interval LA between first and second light-emitting portions, and the positive first order beam receiving area of the first light-receiving region and the positive first-order beam receiving area of the second light-receiving region are kept away from each other at the interval LB and the negative first order beam receiving area of the first light-receiving region and the negative first-order beam receiving area of the second light-receiving region are kept away from each other at the interval LB.