Magneto-optic disk apparatus having means for eliminating fluctuation component in reproduction magneto-optic signal

A magneto-optic disk apparatus for use with a magneto-optic disk in which a recording surface made of a magneto-optic information recording medium is formed on a transparent substrate having a birefringence, the magneto-optic disk apparatus comprising:

• an optical head for performing a recording and a reproduction by a laser beam for the recording surface;
• and
• a unit for eliminating a fluctuation component occurring in a reproduction magneto-optic signal;
• wherein the optical head includes
• a polarization separating unit for separating light into a first polarized light beam and a second polarized light beam,
• a first photodetector for receiving the first polarized light beam, and
• a second photodetector for receiving the second polarized light beam,
• at least one of the first photodetector and the second photodetector being a 4-split photodetector;
• and
• wherein the fluctuation component eliminating unit includes
• means for detecting a level fluctuation component of the reproduction magneto-optic signal by arithmetically operating sum signals in light receiving regions with a diagonal positional relation among four light receiving regions of the 4-split photodetector, and
• means for subtracting the level fluctuation component from the reproduction magneto-optic signal.

A magneto-optic disk apparatus with an optical head having at least:

• a laser device for emitting a laser light beam;
• an objective lens for converging the laser light beam and irradiating said laser light beam as a light spot onto a magneto-optic information recording medium (recording surface) of a magneto-optic disk having said recording surface on a transparent substrate having a birefringence and for converging the laser light beam reflected on said recording surface;
• a beam splitter for guiding the laser light beam emitted from said laser device to said objective lens, for simultaneously separating a part of said laser beam, for separating the reflected light beam from said recording surface from an optical path connecting said laser device and said magneto-optic disk, and for guiding the separated light beam to a detection optical system;
• an analyzer for separating the laser beam separated by said beam splitter in the reflected light beam from said recording surface into two polarized light beams whose polarizing directions perpendicularly cross;
• a birefringence correcting unit having an optical anisotropy arranged in a convergent light up to said analyzer in said detection optical system;
• and
• a photodetector for detecting at least two polarized light beams which were polarized and separated by said analyzer;
• wherein said birefringence correcting unit is a parallel flat plate having an incident surface and an emitting surface parallel to the incident surface, the parallel flat plate being arranged in the convergent light such that the convergent light is incident on the incident surface of the parallel flat plate with an optic axis of the convergent light being perpendicular to the incident surface of the parallel flat plate, the parallel flat plate being made of a positive uniaxial anisotropy crystal having an optic axis which is perpendicular to the incident surface and the emitting surface of the parallel flat plate.

A magneto-optic disk apparatus with an optical head which has at least

• a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser light beam,
• an objective lens for converging said laser light beam, for irradiating the converged laser light beam as a light spot onto a recording surface formed with information tracks in a magneto-optic disk in which a magneto-optic information recording medium is provided on a transparent substrate, and for converging the laser light beam reflected from said recording surface,
• a first beam splitter for guiding the laser light beam emitted from said semiconductor laser to said objective lens, for separating a part of said laser beam, and for separating the reflected light beam from the recording surface of said magneto-optic disk from an optical path connecting said semiconductor laser and said magneto-optic disk, and
• a second beam splitter for reflecting a part of the laser light beam separated by said first beam splitter from the laser light beam reflected from said recording surface, for transmitting another part of said laser light beam, and for separating the transmitted laser light beam into two light beams of a reflected light beam and a transmission light beam,
• wherein the transmission light beam separated by said second beam splitter is separated into two polarized light beams whose polarizing directions perpendicularly cross with each other by a polarization separating unit, a reproduction magneto-optic signal is detected by differentially detecting, and at least a focusing error signal according to a size of a spot diameter of the light spot which is irradiated onto said magneto-optic information recording medium and a tracking error signal according to a positional deviation amount from said information track of the light spot that is irradiated onto the magneto-optic information recording medium of said magneto-optic disk are detected from the reflected light beam separated by said second beam splitter,
• wherein at least one of first and second photodetectors for receiving the two polarized light beams which were polarized and separated by said polarization separating unit is set to a 4-split photodetector, and
• wherein sum signals in light receiving regions with a diagonal positional relation among four light receiving regions of said 4-split photodetector are arithmetically operated, a level fluctuation component of the reproduction magneto-optic signal is detected, and said detected level fluctuation component is subtracted from said reproduction magneto-optic signal.

A magneto-optic disk apparatus with an optical head which has at least

• a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser light beam,
• an objective lens for converging said laser light beam, for irradiating the converged laser light beam as a light spot onto a recording surface formed with information tracks in a magneto-optic disk in which a magneto-optic information recording medium is provided on a transparent substrate, and for converging the laser light beam reflected from said recording surface, and
• a first beam splitter for guiding the laser light beam emitted from said semiconductor laser to said objective lens, for separating a part of said laser beam, and for separating the reflected light beam from said recording surface from an optical path connecting said semiconductor laser and said magneto-optic information recording medium of said magneto-optic disk,
• wherein the transmission light beam separated by said first beam splitter is separated by a polarization separating unit into at least first and second polarized light beams whose polarizing directions perpendicularly cross with each other and a third polarized light beam obtained by synthesizing said two polarized light components, a magneto-optic signal is detected by differentially detecting said first and second light beams, and at least a focusing error signal according to a size of spot diameter of said light spot which is irradiated onto said magneto-optic information recording medium from said third light beam is detected, and
• wherein said focusing error signal is detected by an astigmatism method, a level fluctuation component of said reproduction magneto-optic signal is obtained by arithmetically operating said focusing error signal, and said level fluctuation component is subtracted from said reproduction magneto-optic signal, thereby obtaining the reproduction magneto-optic signal in which the level fluctuation was corrected.