Optical head for a magneto-optical information reproducing apparatus including a light beam splitter having a first glass, a uniaxial crystal and a second glass arranged in sequence

A magneto-optical information reproducing apparatus, comprising:

• a semiconductor laser for emitting a light beam in a polarization direction;
• focusing means for focusing the light beam from said semiconductor laser in a direction of incidence into a fine spot onto a magneto-optical recording medium;
• light beam splitting means for splitting a light beam reflected by the recording medium into a first light beam having a polarization component in a first direction, substantially 45 degrees with respect to the polarization direction of said semiconductor laser, and into a second light beam having a polarization component in a direction orthogonal to the first direction, said light beam splitting means comprising a first glass, a uniaxial crystal and a second glass arranged in this sequence in the direction of incidence of the light beam from said semiconductor laser,
• wherein normal lines to joint planes of said first glass and said uniaxial crystal, and said second glass and said uniaxial crystal, respectively, are in a plane containing the first and second light beams, and an optical axis of said uniaxial crystal is set in the first direction;
• and
• detecting means for detecting the first and second light beams split by said light beam splitting means.