Abstract:
A light source device has a semiconductor laser for emitting an elliptical divergent beam having a light intensity distribution in an elliptical form; and a beam shaping element for converting an elliptical divergent beam from said semiconductor laser into an approximately circular divergent beam having a light intensity distribution in an approximately circular form; wherein the beam shaping element has a first surface formed of a cylindrical surface and a second surface formed of an anamorphic surface, in order from said semiconductor laser side, and satisfies the predetermined conditional expressions.
Abstract:
An optical system has a diffractive optical element. A diffractive optical surface of the optical element has a blaze-shaped diffraction grating. The grating heights are smaller in the peripheral region of the grating than in the central region of the grating around its optical axis. The optical element acts as a lenses a result of light rays being deflected by the light-diffracting action of the diffractive optical surface.
Abstract:
A zoom lens system includes, from the object to image side, a first lens unit of a positive refractive power having a first lens element with a power to both diffract and refract light. A second lens unit has a negative refractive power and may include a second lens element having both the power to diffract and refract light, and it least a third lens unit is included. A zooming operation is performed by varying the distances between the respective first, second, and third lens units.
Abstract:
An optical pickup apparatus has a semiconductor laser source which emits a laser beam in a wavelength band of 405 nm having an elliptic light intensity distribution; a beam shaping element which shapes the light intensity distribution of the laser beam; a polarizing beam splitter having a polarized light separation film in contact with the air and reflecting the laser beam shaped by the beam shaping element on the polarized light separation film; and an objective lens which focuses the laser beam reflected on the polarized light separation film onto an optical information recording medium.
Abstract:
An optical pickup apparatus includes a diffractive optical element, and an objective lens that focuses a light beam of a first wavelength λ1, a light beam of a second wavelength λ2 and a light beam of a third wavelength λ3 on a first recording medium, a second recording medium, and a third recording medium, respectively, the wavelengths λ1, λ2, and λ3 being different from each other. The diffractive optical element includes a first diffractive surface that neither diffracts the light beam of the first wavelength λ1 nor the light beam of the third wavelength λ3 but diffracts the light beam of the second wavelength λ2, and a second diffractive surface that neither diffracts the light beam of the first wavelength λ1 nor the light beam of the second wavelength λ2 but diffracts the light beam of the third wavelength λ3, and each of the first and second diffractive surfaces satisfies the following condition inequality: Λ/λ≧8 wherein Λ represents the minimum pitch in the case that the width which generates a phase difference of one wavelength when the closest wavefronts resulting from adjacent steps in each of the diffractive surfaces are linked with each other is defined as one pitch, and λ represents the wavelength of the diffracted light.
Abstract:
In a beam shaping device for converting the laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser light source from an elliptic beam to a circular beam, the light-entrance-side and light-exit-side surfaces of the beam shaping device both have a curvature only in the minor-axis direction of the cross section of the elliptic beam. Of the light-entrance-side and light-exit-side surfaces, one is a circular-arc cylindrical surface and the other is a non-circular-arc cylindrical surface. The beam shaping device fulfills prescribed conditions with respect to the center thickness, surface shapes, and/or other features.
Abstract:
An optical pickup apparatus has a semiconductor laser source which emits a laser beam in a wavelength band of 405 nm having an elliptic light intensity distribution; a beam shaping element which shapes the light intensity distribution of the laser beam; a polarizing beam splitter having a polarized light separation film in contact with the air and reflecting the laser beam shaped by the beam shaping element on the polarized light separation film; and an objective lens which focuses the laser beam reflected on the polarized light separation film onto an optical information recording medium.
Abstract:
A diffractive optical element acts as a lens. The optical element has a diffraction grating. The diffractive grating is provided with a plurality of ridges. Each of the ridges has a transmissive surface. A sectional profile of the transmissive surface is composed of a plurality of successively connected strait lines of an identical length. The length varies from one ridge to another.
Abstract:
A diffusive optical element exploiting holography is designed in such a way that, the higher the intensity of incident light in a wavelength range, the lower the rate at which the intensity of diffused light in that wavelength range is reduced with increasing angle relative to the maximum intensity direction. Thus, the lower the intensity of incident light in a wavelength range, the narrower the range of angles at which light is diffused in that wavelength range. This makes it possible to use light diffused at angles within a predetermined range relative to the maximum intensity direction, and thereby enhance light use efficiency in a wavelength range in which light intensity is comparatively low. This diffusive optical element is employed in an illumination optical system, which is used to illuminate photographic film from which to read images.
Abstract:
A zoom lens system has the first and second lens units. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the lens units are moved to decrease a distance therebetween. The first lens unit has a positive refractive power. The second lens unit has a negative refractive power. The zoom lens system is provided with at least one surface having a power to diffract light.