Patent ID: 6966707

Claim:
An optical pickup comprising: optical wiring consisting of: a first optical fiber formed by covering a first core with cladding, wherein an optical axis is Z, both the refractive index distribution profiles of the first core in X and Y directions among three perpendicular axes of X, Y, and Z are quadratic index distribution profiles, and slopes of the refractive index distribution profiles in the corresponding X and Y directions have different values; and a second optical fiber formed by covering a second core with cladding, wherein the second core has birefringence, and wherein a first end of the first optical fiber and a first end of the second optical fiber are connected; a semiconductor laser at a second end of the first optical fiber; an optical head at a second end of the second optical fiber, the optical head having at least an objective lens; and an optical detector at the second end of the second optical fiber; a first lens disposed between said semiconductor laser and a second end of the first optical fiber; and a second lens disposed between a polarized beam splitter and the second end of the second optical fiber, wherein an optical fiber module is constructed with said semiconductor laser and said optical wiring disposed such that a laser light beam emitted from said semiconductor laser is made to enter a second end of said first optical fiber, and said optical wiring directs the laser light beam emitted from said semiconductor laser into said optical head, wherein a polarized beam splitting element and a ¼ wavelength plate are disposed between said optical wiring and said objective lens, and wherein a cross section of the first core in said first optical fiber is made in one of an approximately elliptical, oval, or approximately rectangular shape, and a polarizing direction of the light beam emitted from said semiconductor laser approximately coincides with a direction of a major axis of the cross section of the first core in said first optical fiber.