Patent · US Expired

Photomagnetic head apparatus

US5850380A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
14References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 10, 1997
Grant dateDec 15, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B7/0912
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A photomagnetic head apparatus includes a beam splitter which splits a laser beam, reflected by concentric recording tracks of a rotating photomagnetic recording disc, into three bundles of rays. The three bundles of rays have different polarization directions in a plane which lies in a radial direction of the recording tracks. One of the three bundles of rays is used as a servo-signal light, and the remaining two bundles of rays are used as data signal lights. A defocusing diffraction element splits at least the servo-signal light into a least two bundles of rays in a direction corresponding to the tangential direction of the recording tracks, substantially perpendicular to the split direction of the beam splitter and which provides at least two split lights with a predetermined amount of positive or negative defocus in an optical axis direction. A pair of servo-signal light receiving elements receive the split beams of the servo-signal light produced by the defocusing diffraction element. A data light receiving element receives the data signal lights. The defocusing diffraction element is made of a non-circular element whose numerical aperture in the tangential direction of the r…

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