Patent Application
20100309770
The present invention relates to an optical head device and an optical information recording/reproducing device to record/reproduce information on/from an optical recording medium having two or more of the recording layers. Note that the optical information recording/reproducing device according to the invention includes both recording/reproducing device that records/reproduces information on/from the optical recording medium and a reproduction-only device that only reproduces information from the optical recording medium.
On each of write-once type optical recording media, such as a DVD-R and an HD DVD-R, and rewritable type optical recording media, such as a DVD-RW and an HD DVD-RW, a groove is formed as an information track. The optical head device and the optical information recording/reproducing device that records/reproduces information on/from an optical recording medium have a function of detecting a track error signal which indicates a positional shift of a light focusing spot from the information track in order to position the light focusing spot which is formed on the optical recording medium to follow the information track. As a method for detecting the track error signal, a push-pull method is generally used for the write-once type optical recording medium and the rewritable type optical recording medium.
However, in a case of detecting the track error signal with the push-pull method, when an objective lens of an optical head device shifts in a direction perpendicular to the information track in order to follow the information track, a large offset is generated. This offset is called an offset by a lens shift, and it causes deterioration in a recording/reproducing characteristic. As a method to detect the track error signal without generating the offset by the lens shift, a differential push-pull method has been known (Patent Documents 1-3).
A related optical head device shown in
The reflected light beam of the main beam and the reflected light beams of the sub-beams from the disk 7 transmit through the objective lens 6 in the reverse direction and transmit through the quarter wavelength plate 5 to be converted from the circularly polarized light to the linearly polarized light whose polarization direction is orthogonal to that of the light on the incoming way. Further, these light beams make incident to the polarization beam splitter 4 as S-polarized light, and almost all of which are reflected, then transmit through a cylindrical lens 8 and a convex lens 9 to be received by a photodetector 10.
The diffractive optical element 3d is configured in such a manner that a plurality of diffraction gratings 20 whose cross-sectional shapes are rectangular are formed on a surface of a substrate 20. Grooves of the gratings of the diffraction grating 20 are in parallel to a radial direction of the disk 7, and the pattern of the gratings is in a linear form of an equivalent pitch. About 87.6% of the light beam making incident on the diffractive optical element 3d transmits as the zeroth order light beam, and about 5% each is diffracted as the positive and negative first order diffracted light beams. Here, a circle illustrated with a dotted line in the drawing corresponds to an effective diameter 22 of the objective lens 6.
The optical spot 17a corresponds to the zeroth order light beam from the diffractive optical element 3d, and is formed on light receiving sections 19a-19d which are divided into four by a dividing line corresponding to the radial direction of the disk 7 (i.e. a direction perpendicular to the information track) and by a dividing line corresponding to the tangential direction of the disk 7 (i.e. a direction parallel to the information track).
The optical spot 17b corresponds to the positive first order diffracted light beam from the diffractive optical element 3d, and is formed on light receiving sections 19e and 19f which are separated into two by a dividing line corresponding to the radial direction of the disk 7.
The optical spot 17c corresponds to the negative first order diffracted light beam from the diffractive optical element 3d, and is formed on light receiving sections 19g and 19h which are separated into two by a dividing line corresponding to the radial direction of the disk 7.
The light intensity distribution in a direction corresponding to the radial direction of the disk 7 and the light intensity distribution in a direction corresponding to the tangential direction of the disk 7 are switched each other in the optical spots 17a-17c compared to the light beam which is yet to be made incident into the lens system, because of the effects of the lens system configured with the cylindrical lens 8 and the convex lens 9. The optical spot 18 will be described later.
Levels of the voltage signals outputted from the light receiving sections 19a-19h are expressed as V19a-V19h, respectively. Then, a push-pull signal by the main beam (MPP) can be obtained by an arithmetic operation of MPP=(V19a+V19b)−(V19c+V19d), and a push-pull signal by the sub-beam (SPP) can be obtained by an arithmetic operation of SPP=(V19e+V19g)−(V19f+V19h). The differential push-pull signal (DPP) used as a track error signal can be obtained by an arithmetic operation of DPP=MPP−K*SPP (K is a constant).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2004-288227
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2006-236581
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2006-252619
The optical recording media such as the DVD-R, the HD DVD-R, the DVD-RW, and the HD DVD-RW include the optical recording medium having two recording layers. In a case of using the optical recording medium having two recording layers, when a main beam and sub-beams are converged onto a target layer that is a layer on/from which information is recorded/reproduced, a part of the reflected light beam of the main beam from a non-target layer (on/from which information is not recorded/reproduced) makes incident as disturbance light to a light receiving section for receiving the sub-beams reflected from the target layer.
An optical spot 18 shown in
In this case, when an interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed, a phase difference between the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c is changed. If the phase difference between the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c is brought closer to zero, the light intensity on the light receiving sections 19e-19h is increased due to the interference, and outputs from the light receiving sections 19e-19h are increased.
On the other hand, if the phase difference between the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c is brought closer to π, the light intensity on the light receiving sections 19e-19h is decreased due to the interference, and outputs from the light receiving sections 19e-19h are decreased. Therefore, a disturbance is generated on a push-pull signal by the sub-beams, and further, on a differential push-pull signal, and then the recording and reproducing cannot be performed properly.
An observation example of the push-pull signal for the optical recording medium having two recording layers when using a related optical head device is shown in each of
For reducing the disturbance to be generated on the differential push-pull signal, required is to increase a ratio of the light amount of optical spots 17b and 17c of the sub-beams to the light amount of the optical spot 18 of the main beam, and suppress the change in light intensity on the light receiving sections 19e-19h due to the interference of the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c. However, when the ratio of the light amount of the sub-beams to the light amount of the main beam is increased, it happens that recording of data cannot be performed because of the shortage of the light amount of the main beam, or, the data is erased mistakenly by the sub-beams on recording the data by the main beam. Therefore the ratio of the light amount of the sub-beams to the light amount of the main beam is set to be a small value ordinarily, such as about 0.05 to 0.1. As seen above, for the related optical head device which performs recording/reproducing of information on/from the optical recording medium having two recording layers, there is such a problem that, when the differential push-pull method is used for detecting a track error signal, if the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed, the disturbance is generated on the differential push-pull signal, and the recording and reproducing cannot be performed properly.
An exemplary object of the present invention is to provide an optical head device and an optical information recording/reproducing device which can overcome the foregoing issues of the related optical head device that performs recording/reproducing of information on/from the optical recording medium having two recording layers, and which can perform the recording and reproducing of the information without generating the disturbance on the track error signal detected with the differential push-pull method even when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed.
In order to achieve the foregoing exemplary object, an optical head device according to the invention is a device used for a disk-shaped optical recording medium having two or more recording layers on which an information track is formed, including: alight source; a diffractive optical element which generates a main beam and a sub-beam group from an emitted light beam of the light source; an objective lens which arranges the main beam and the sub-beam group on the optical recording medium; and a photodetector which receives each of a reflected light beam of the main beam and reflected light beams of the sub-beam group from the optical recording medium independently, where the sub-beams of the sub-beam group are Laguerre-Gauss beams.
An optical information recording/reproducing device according to the invention includes the optical head device and a device which calculates a differential push-pull signal that represents a difference between a push-pull signal by the main beam and a push-pull signal by the sub-beam group.
Accordingly, when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed and the phase difference between the reflected light beam of the sub-beam from the target layer and the disturbance light is changed, an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to zero and the light intensity is increased and an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to π and the light intensity is decreased are weaved consistently on the light receiving section which receives the reflected light beams of the sub-beams from the target layer. As a result, the differences in light intensity due to the interference are averaged, and the output of the light receiving section is hardly changed. Consequently, the disturbance is not generated on the push-pull signal by the sub-beams and further the differential push-pull signal, and the recording and reproducing can be performed properly.
According to the present invention, the recording and reproducing of the information on/from the optical recording medium having two recording layers can be performed properly, without generating the disturbance on the track error signal detected with the differential push-pull method even when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed. The reason is, even when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed and the phase difference between the reflected light beams of the sub-beams from the target layer and the disturbance light is changed, since the sub beams are Laguerre-Gauss beams, the differences in light intensity due to the interference are averaged, and the output of the light receiving section which receives the reflected light beams of the sub-beams from the target layer is hardly changed.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter by referring to the accompanying drawings.
An optical head device according to the first exemplary embodiment is configured such that a diffractive optical element 3d of a related optical head device shown in
The diffractive optical element 3a according to the first exemplary embodiment is configured such that the diffractive grating 20 having a rectangular sectional shape is formed on a surface 21 of a substrate, as shown in
The diffractive optical element 3a according to the first exemplary embodiment is configured such that a phase of a left side diffractive grating 20a and a phase of a right side diffractive grating 20b, with respect to a straight line passing through a center of an incident beam and corresponding to a tangential direction of the disk 7, are relatively shifted by substantially a half cycle.
Specifically, in an upper side of the disk 7 with respect to a straight line passing through a center of an incident beam and corresponding to a radial direction of the disk 7, the phase of the right side diffractive grating 20b is shifted in an upward direction with respect to the phase of the left side diffractive grating 20a, by substantially a half cycle. On the other hand, in a lower side of the disk 7 with respect to a straight line passing through a center of an incident beam and corresponding to a radial direction of the disk 7, the phase of the right side diffractive grating 20b is shifted in a downward direction with respect to the phase of the left side diffractive grating 20a, by substantially a half cycle.
About 87.6% of the light beam making incident on the diffractive optical element 3a transmits therethrough as a zeroth order light beam, and about 5.0% each is diffracted as a positive and a negative first order diffracted light beams. Here, a circle illustrated with a dotted line in the drawing corresponds to an effective diameter 22 of the objective lens 6. In this case, each of the positive and the negative first order diffracted light beams from the diffractive optical element 3a becomes a beam whose phase varies continuously from zero to 2π corresponding to an angle around a phase singularity which is an optical axis, within a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis. A beam as such is called a first order Laguerre-Gauss beam. A phase distribution within the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis of the first order Laguerre-Gauss beam is shown in
A pattern of light receiving sections of a photodetector 10 and a layout of optical spots on the photodetector 10 according to the first exemplary embodiment are the same as shown in
Levels of voltage signals outputted from the light receiving sections 19a-19h are expressed as V19a-V19h, respectively. This time, a push-pull signal by the main beam, a push-pull signal by the sub-beam, and a differential push-pull signal used as a track error signal can be obtained by the same arithmetic operation as described for the related optical head device. The reason why the differential push-pull signal can be obtained when light focusing spots 16a-16c are arranged on a same track is that the phases within the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis of the sub-beam are shifted between the left side and right side of the disk 7 with respect to the straight line passing through the optical axis and corresponding to the tangential direction of the disk 7 by substantially π. Note that a focus error signal can be obtained by an arithmetic operation of (V19a+V19d)−(V19b+V19c) based on the astigmatism method commonly known, and a reproducing signal which is a mark/space signal recorded on the disk 7 can be obtained from a harmonic component of (V19a+V19b+V19c+V19d).
The disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17b on the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17c on the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
However, the phase of the optical spot 17b varies from zero to 2π continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the phase of the optical spot 17c varies from zero to 2π it continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
On the other hand, the phase of the disturbance light is substantially constant in the surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e-19h.
Accordingly, even when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed and the phase difference between the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c is changed, an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to zero and the light intensity is increased and an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to π and the light intensity is decreased are weaved consistently on the light receiving sections 19e-19h. As a result, the differences in light intensity due to the interference are averaged, and the outputs of the light receiving sections 19e-19h are hardly changed. Consequently, the disturbance is not generated on the push-pull signal according to the sub-beams, and further, on the differential push-pull signal, and then the recording and reproducing can be performed properly.
An observation example of the push-pull signal for the optical recording medium having two recording layers when using the first exemplary embodiment is shown in each of
An optical head device according to the second exemplary embodiment is configured such that a diffractive optical element 3d of a related optical head device shown in
The diffractive optical element 3b according to the second exemplary embodiment is configured such that the diffractive grating 20 having a rectangular cross sectional shape is formed on a surface of a substrate 21, as shown in
The diffractive optical element 3b according to the second exemplary embodiment is configured such that a phase of a left side diffractive grating 20a and a phase of a right side diffractive grating 20b, with respect to a straight line passing through a center of an incident beam and corresponding to a tangential direction of the disk 7, are relatively shifted by substantially one cycle. Specifically, in an upper side of the disk 7 with respect to a straight line passing through a center of an incident beam and corresponding to a radial direction of the disk 7, the phase of the right side diffractive grating 20b is shifted in an upward direction with respect to the phase of the left side diffractive grating 20a, by substantially one cycle. On the other hand, in a lower side of the disk 7 with respect to a straight line passing through a center of an incident beam and corresponding to a radial direction of the disk 7, the phase of the right side diffractive grating 20b is shifted in a downward direction with respect to the phase of the left side diffractive grating 20a, by substantially one cycle.
About 87.6% of the light beam making incident on the diffractive optical element 3b transmits therethrough as a zeroth order light beam, and about 5.0% each is diffracted as a positive and a negative first order diffracted light beams. Here, a circle illustrated with a dotted line in the drawing corresponds to an effective diameter 22 of the objective lens 6. In this case, each of the positive and the negative first order diffracted light beams from the diffractive optical element 3b becomes a beam whose phase varies continuously from zero to 4π corresponding to an angle around a phase singularity which is an optical axis, in a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis. The beam as such is called a second order Laguerre-Gauss beam.
A layout of the light focusing spots on the disk 7 according to the second exemplary embodiment is the same as that shown in
A pattern of light receiving sections of a photodetector 10 and a layout of optical spots on the photodetector 10 according to the second exemplary embodiment are the same as those shown in
A push-pull signal by the main beam, a push-pull signal by the sub-beam, and a differential push-pull signal used as a track error signal can be obtained by the same arithmetic operation as described for the related optical head device. The reason why the differential push-pull signal can be obtained when the light focusing spots 16d and 16e are arranged so as to be shifted by a half a track pitch with respect to the light focusing spot 16a is that the phases within the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis of the sub-beam are shifted between the left side and right side of the disk 7 with respect to the straight line passing through the optical axis and corresponding to the tangential direction of the disk 7 by substantially 2π. Note that a focus error signal and a reproducing signal can be obtained by the same arithmetic operation described in the first exemplary embodiment.
The disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17b on the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17c on the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
However, the phase of the optical spot 17b varies from zero to 4π continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the phase of the optical spot 17c varies from zero to 4π continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
On the other hand, the phase of the disturbance light is substantially constant in the surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e-19h.
Accordingly, when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed and the phase difference between the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c is changed, an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to zero and the light intensity is increased and an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to π and the light intensity is decreased are weaved consistently on the light receiving sections 19e-19h. As a result, the differences in light intensity due to the interference are averaged, and the outputs of the light receiving sections 19e-19h are hardly changed. Consequently, the disturbance is not generated on the push-pull signal by the sub-beams, and further, on the differential push-pull signal, and thus the recording and reproducing can be performed properly.
An exemplary embodiment of the optical head device according to the invention is possible to be configured such that a diffractive optical element 3d of the related optical head device shown in
A configuration of an optical head device according to a third exemplary embodiment is shown in
The diffractive optical element 11 of the third exemplary embodiment is the same as that shown in
The diffractive optical element 11 is configured to have such a structure in which a liquid crystal polymer 13 and a filler 14 are sandwiched between a substrate 12a and a substrate 12b, and a diffraction grating having a rectangular cross sectional shape is formed at a boundary surface of the liquid crystal polymer 13 and the filler 14, as shown in
The liquid crystal polymer 13 exhibits a uniaxis refractive index anisotropy, and the refractive index for an abnormal light component is higher than the refractive index for a normal light component. On the other hand, the refractive index of the filler 14 is equivalent to the refractive index for a normal light component of the liquid crystal polymer 13.
The emitted light beam from the semiconductor laser 1 makes incident into the diffractive optical element 11 as an abnormal light beam with respect to the liquid crystal polymer 13. About 87.6% of the light beam transmits therethrough as a zeroth order light beam, and about 5.0% each is diffracted as a positive and a negative first order diffracted light beam. This time, each of the positive and the negative first order diffracted light beams from the diffractive optical element 11 becomes a beam whose phase is varied continuously from zero to 2π depending on an angle around a phase singularity which is an optical axis, within a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis. The beam as such is called a first order Laguerre-Gauss beam. On the other hand, the reflected light beam from the disk 7 makes incident into the diffractive optical element 11 as the normal light beam with respect to the liquid crystal polymer 13. About 100% of the light beam transmits therethrough as the zeroth order light beam.
A layout of the light focusing spots on the disk 7 according to the third exemplary embodiment is the same as that shown in
A pattern of the light receiving sections of a photodetector 10 and a layout of the optical spots on the photodetector 10 according to the third exemplary embodiment are the same as those shown in
A push-pull signal by the main beam, a push-pull signal by the sub-beam, and a differential push-pull signal used as a track error signal can be obtained by the same arithmetic operation as described for the related optical head device. The reason why the differential push-pull signal can be obtained when the light focusing spots 16a-16c are arranged on the same track is that the phases within the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis of the sub-beam are shifted by substantially π between the left side and right side of the disk 7 with respect to the straight line passing through the optical axis and corresponding to the tangential direction of the disk 7. Note that a focus error signal and a reproducing signal can be obtained by the same arithmetic operation described in the first exemplary embodiment.
The disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17b on the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17c on the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
However, the phase of the optical spot 17b varies from zero to 2π continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the phase of the optical spot 17c varies from zero to 2π continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
On the other hand, the phase of the disturbance light is substantially constant in the surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e-19h.
Accordingly, when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed and the phase difference between the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c is changed, an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to zero and the light intensity is increased and an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to π and the light intensity is decreased are weaved consistently on the light receiving sections 19e-19h. As a result, the differences in light intensity due to the interference are averaged, and the outputs of the light receiving sections 19e-19h are hardly changed. Consequently, the disturbance is not generated on the push-pull signal by the sub-beams, and further, on the differential push-pull signal, and the recording and reproducing can be performed properly.
Each of the positive and the negative first order diffracted light beams from the diffractive optical element is deflected in the tangential direction of the disk 7 by the diffractive optical element and forwarded to an objective lens 6. This time, if a distance from the diffractive optical element to the objective lens 6 is long, optical axis of each of the positive and the negative first order diffracted light beams at making incident into the objective lens 6 doesn't pass a center of the objective lens 6, and shifts in the tangential direction of the disk 7 with respect to the center of the objective lens 6.
Accordingly, when the diffractive optical element 3a shown in
However, in the third exemplary embodiment, since the distance from the diffractive optical element 11 to the objective lens 6 can be shortened by using the diffractive optical element 11 provided between the polarization beam splitter 4 and the quarter wavelength plate 5, the phase singularity of each of the positive and the negative first order diffracted light beams matches with the center of the objective lens 6, and the intensity distribution of the light focusing spot of each of the positive and the negative first order diffracted light beams can be formed to be an exact doughnut shape.
An optical head device according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is configured such that a diffractive optical element 3d of a related optical head device shown in
The diffractive optical element 3c according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is configured such that the diffractive grating 20 having a rectangular cross sectional shape is formed on a surface of a substrate 21, as shown in
The diffractive optical element 3c according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is configured such that a phase of a left side diffractive grating 20a and a phase of a right side diffractive grating 20b, with respect to a straight line passing through a center of an incident beam and corresponding to a tangential direction of the disk 7, are relatively shifted by substantially one cycle, as shown in
Specifically, the diffractive optical element 3c according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is configured such that, in an area A at a lower side of a first straight line which is separately-placed from a center of an incident beam downwardly by a prescribed distance and corresponding to a radial direction of the disk 7, and in an area B at an upper side of a second straight line which is separately-placed from a center of an incident beam upwardly by a prescribed distance and corresponding to a radial direction of the disk 7, the phase of the right side diffractive grating 20b is shifted in an upward direction with respect to the phase of the left side diffractive grating 20a. Also, in an area C between the first straight line and the second straight line, the phase of the right side diffractive grating 20b is shifted in a downward direction with respect to the phase of the left side diffractive grating 20a. About 87.6% of the light beam making incident on the diffractive optical element 3c transmits therethrough as a zeroth order light beam, and about 5.0% each is diffracted as a positive and a negative first order diffracted light beams.
The positive first order diffracted light beam and the negative first order diffracted light beam from the diffractive optical element 3c are deflected to an upper side and a lower side in the tangential direction of the disk 7 respectively by the diffractive optical element 3c, and forwarded to an objective lens 6. This time, if a distance from the diffractive optical element 3c to the objective lens 6 is long, optical axis of each of the positive first order diffracted light beam and the negative first order diffracted light beam at making incident into the objective lens 6 doesn't pass a center of the objective lens 6, and shifts to an upper side and a lower side in the tangential direction of the disk 7 respectively with respect to the center of the objective lens 6.
Accordingly, when circles corresponding to the effective diameters of the objective lens 6 with respect to the positive first order diffracted light beam and the negative first order diffracted light beam are projected onto the diffractive optical element 3c, centers of the circles are shifted to an upper side and a lower side in the tangential direction of the disk 7 respectively with respect to the optical axis.
Three circles illustrated with dotted lines in the drawing correspond to the effective diameters 22a, 22b, and 22c of the objective lens 6 with respect to the positive first order diffracted light beam, the zeroth order light beam, and the negative first order diffracted light beam. Here, distances from the optical axis to the first straight line and to the second straight line are determined such that the first straight line and the second straight line in the area A and the area B pass through centers of the circles corresponding to the effective diameters 22a and 22c of the objective lens 6 with respect to the positive first order diffracted light beam and the negative first order diffracted light beam, respectively. This time, each of the positive first order diffracted light beam and the negative first order diffracted light beam from the diffractive optical element 3c becomes a beam whose phase varies continuously from zero to 2π depending on an angle around a phase singularity which is a center of each of the circles corresponding to the effective diameters 22a and 22b of the objective lens 6 with respect to the positive first order diffracted light beam and the negative first order diffracted light beam respectively, within a cross section perpendicular to the optical axis. A beam as such is called a first order Laguerre-Gauss beam.
A layout of the light focusing spots on the disk 7 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is the same as that shown in
A pattern of the light receiving sections of a photodetector 10 and a layout of the optical spots on the photodetector 10 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment are the same as those shown in
A push-pull signal by the main beam, a push-pull signal by the sub-beam, and a differential push-pull signal used as a track error signal can be obtained by the same arithmetic operation as described for the related optical head device. The reason why the differential push-pull signal can be obtained when the light focusing spots 16a-16c are arranged on the same track is that the phases in the cross section perpendicular to the optical axis of the sub-beam are shifted by substantially π between the left side and right side of the disk 7 with respect to the straight line passing through the optical axis and corresponding to the tangential direction of the disk 7. Note that a focus error signal and a reproducing signal can be obtained by the same arithmetic operation described in the first exemplary embodiment.
The disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17b on the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the disturbance light interferes with the optical spot 17c on the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
However, the phase of the optical spot 17b varies from zero to 2π continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e and 19f, and the phase of the optical spot 17c varies from zero to 2π continuously in surfaces of the light receiving sections 19g and 19h.
On the other hand, the phase of the disturbance light is substantially constant in the surfaces of the light receiving sections 19e-19h.
Accordingly, when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed and the phase difference between the disturbance light and the optical spots 17b and 17c is changed, an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to zero and the light intensity is increased and an area in which the phase difference is brought closer to π and the light intensity is decreased are weaved consistently on the light receiving sections 19e-19h. As a result, the differences in light intensity due to the interference are averaged, and the outputs of the light receiving sections 19e-19h are hardly changed. Consequently, the disturbance is not generated on the push-pull signal by the sub-beams, and further, not generated on the differential push-pull signal, and the recording and reproducing can be performed properly.
As described for the third exemplary embodiment, if a distance from the diffractive optical element to the objective lens 6 is long, and when the diffractive optical element 3a shown in
However, in the fourth exemplary embodiment, by using the diffractive optical element 3c shown in
Next, an optical information recording/reproducing device using the optical head device according to the exemplary embodiment is explained as a fifth exemplary embodiment.
The optical information recording/reproducing device according to the fifth exemplary embodiment is realized by adding a controller 20, a modulation circuit 21, a recording signal generating circuit 22, a semiconductor laser driving circuit 23, an amplifying circuit 24, a reproducing signal processing circuit 25, a demodulation circuit 26, an error signal generating circuit 27, and an objective lens driving circuit 28, to the optical head device according to the first exemplary embodiment. The circuits from the modulation circuit 21 to the objective lens driving circuit 28 are controlled by the controller 20.
When data is recorded on the disk 7, the modulation circuit 21 modulates the data to be recorded on the disk 7 in accordance with a modulation rule. The recording signal generating circuit 22 generates a recording signal for driving the semiconductor laser 1 in accordance with a recording strategy based on a signal modulated by the modulation circuit 21. The semiconductor laser driving circuit 23 supplies electric current according to the recording signal to the semiconductor laser 1, based on the recording signal generated in the recording signal generating circuit 22, to drive the semiconductor laser 1. On the other hand, when data is reproduced from the disk 7, the semiconductor laser driving circuit 23 drives the semiconductor laser 1 such that a power of emitted light from the semiconductor laser 1 becomes constant, by supplying constant electric current to the semiconductor laser 1.
The amplifying circuit 24 amplifies a voltage signal outputted from each light receiving section of the photodetector 10. When data is reproduced from the disk 7, the reproducing signal processing circuit 25 performs a generation, a waveform equalization and a binarization of the reproducing signal which is a mark/space signal recorded in the disk 7, based on the voltage signal amplified by the amplifying circuit 24. The demodulation circuit 26 demodulates the signal binarized by the reproducing signal processing circuit 25 in accordance with the demodulation rule. The error signal generating circuit 27 generates a focus error signal and a track error signal for driving the objective lens 6 based on the voltage signal amplified by the amplifying circuit 24. The objective lens driving circuit 28 drives the objective lens 6 by supplying electric current corresponding to the focus error signal and the track error signal to an actuator (not shown), based on the focus error signal and the track error signal generated in the error signal generating circuit 27. Further, the entire optical head device except for the disk 7 is driven in the radical direction of the disk 7 by a positioner which is not shown, and the disk 7 is rotary-driven by a spindle which is not shown.
Also, in the exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is preferable that: the diffractive optical element includes a diffractive grating formed within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the incident light; the grooves of the gratings in the diffractive grating are substantially being parallel to the direction corresponding to the radial direction of the optical recording medium; the phases of the gratings are shifted between one side and other side of the plane divided by a straight line passing through the center of the incident beam and corresponding to the tangential direction of the optical recording medium; and at the same time, the directions of the phase shifts of the gratings are opposite in one side and in other side of the plane divided by a straight line passing through the center of the incident beam and corresponding to the radial direction of the optical recording medium.
Also, in the exemplary embodiment of the invention, it is preferable that: the diffractive optical element includes a diffractive grating formed within a plane perpendicular to the axis of the incident light; the grooves of the grating in the diffractive grating are formed substantially in parallel to the direction corresponding to the radial direction of the optical recording medium; the phases of the gratings are shifted between one side and other side of the plane divided by a straight line passing through the center of the incident beam and corresponding to the tangential direction of the optical recording medium; and the directions of the phase shifts of the gratings are opposite in an inside area which is sandwiched by a first straight line and a second straight line which are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the incident beam and corresponding to the radial direction of the optical recording medium, and in other outside area.
Also, it is preferable that the sub-beams of the sub-beam group are odd order Laguerre-Gauss beams, and the light focusing spot of the main beam and the light focusing spots of the sub-beam group formed by the objective lens are arranged on a same information track on the optical recording medium.
Also, it is preferable that the sub-beams of the sub-beam group are even order Laguerre-Gauss beams, and the light focusing spots of the sub-beam group formed by the objective lens are arranged by being shifted with respect to the light focusing spot of the main beam by a half of the pitch of the information track on the optical recording medium.
An exemplary embodiment of the optical information recording/reproducing device according to the invention may be configured to be a form in which a controller, a modulation circuit, a recording signal generating circuit, a semiconductor laser driving circuit, an amplifying circuit, a reproducing signal processing circuit, a demodulation circuit, an error signal generating circuit, and an objective lens driving circuit are added to the optical head device according to the second to fourth exemplary embodiments is considerable.
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments (and examples) thereof, the invention is not limited to these embodiments (and examples). Various changes in form and details which are understood by those skilled in the art may be made within the scope of the present invention.
The present application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-310778 filed on Nov. 16, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein.
With the present invention, even when the interval between the target layer and the non-target layer is changed, the disturbance is not generated on the track error signal detected with the differential push-pull method, and the recording and reproducing of information can be performed properly with respect to the optical recording medium having two recording layers.
1 Semiconductor laser
2 Collimator lens
3
a-3d Diffractive optical element
4 Polarization beam splitter
5 Quarter wavelength plate
6 Objective lens
7 Disk
8 Cylindrical lens
9 Convex lens
10 Photodetector
11 Diffractive optical element
12
a,
12
b Substrate
13 Liquid crystal polymer
14 Filler
15
a-15c Track
16
a-16e Light focusing spot
17
a-17c Optical spot
18 Optical spot
19
a-19h Light receiving section
20 Controller
21 Modulation circuit
22 Recording signal generating circuit
23 Semiconductor laser driving circuit
24 Amplifying circuit
25 Reproducing signal processing circuit
26 Demodulation circuit
27 Error signal generating circuit
28 Objective lens driving circuit
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-310778 | Nov 2006 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2007/071782 | 11/9/2007 | WO | 00 | 4/16/2009 |
