| Abstract | An optical pickup apparatus for recording information signals on an optical recording medium. The apparatus includes a light source radiating a diverging light flux, an object lens on which a light flux radiated from said light source is incident, for converging the light flux on the optical recording medium, a light flux dividing device arranged at a position on a light path between the light source and the object lens at which the light flux remains a diverging light flux, which light flux dividing device divests reflected light flux from the optical recording medium out of the light path, a light detection unit for detecting the reflected light diverted from the light path by the light flux dividing device, and a polarized light dependent light flux separating device arranged at a position on a light path between the light flux dividing device and the light detection device at which the reflected light flux is a converging light flux. In this manner, recording characteristics of information signals may be improved and a simplified structure and a small size of the apparatus may be realized. |
