Patent · US Expired

Optical element and optical pickup device comprising it

US5085496A · kind A · utility

163Cited by
2References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 28, 1990
Grant dateFeb 4, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 28, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B11/10543
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical element comprises a polarization diffraction element that is provided with diffraction gratings that are respectively mounted on different faces of a transparent substrate of a flat plate shape, which grating pitches are equal to each other and approximately equal to the wavelength of an incident light, and which grating lines are parallel. The thickness of the substrate is set such that the difference that occurs between the phases of the P and S polarizations of a light due to the grating, and the difference that occurs between the phases of the two polarizations when the light propagates through the substrate cancel out. The optical pickup device comprising the optical element includes a polarized light detecting unit provided with a diffraction grating which grating pitch is approximately equal to the wavelength of an incident light; a first photodetector that is mounted integrally and virtually in parallel with the substrate, and that receives a zero-order diffracted light produced by the diffraction grating; and a second photodetector that is located in the same plane as the first photodetector and mounted integrally with the first photodetector and the substrate, …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.