Optical recording apparatus and control method thereof

A control method of an optical recording apparatus, wherein

• the optical recording apparatus comprises:
• an optical system for diffracting an optical beam emitted from a light source to form a main beam and a succeeding sub-beam following the main beam and for irradiating a signal recording medium with the main beam and the succeeding sub-beam, wherein a main spot is formed on the signal recording medium by irradiation with the main beam and a succeeding sub-spot is formed on the signal recording medium by irradiation with the succeeding sub-beam;
• and
• a photodetector including a main light receiving region for receiving reflected light of the main spot on the signal recording medium and a succeeding light receiving sub-region for receiving reflected light of the succeeding sub-spot on the signal recording medium,
• wherein the optical system is set such that a distance between the succeeding sub-spot and the main spot in a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of a signal track on the signal recording medium corresponds to an amount defined by an expression (2k−1) P/4 (k=a natural number), in which P denotes a distance between adjacent signal tracks on the signal recording medium, and
• the control method comprises the steps of:
• recording a signal by the main beam on the signal track of the signal recording medium;
• detecting the signal recorded by the main beam on the signal track using the succeeding light receiving sub-region;
• and
• evaluating the state of the signal recorded by the main beam on the signal track based on an output from the succeeding light receiving sub-region to control the light source in accordance with a result of the evaluation.