Optical recording apparatus and optical recording/reproducing apparatus

An optical recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a spatial light modulator which modulates light incident from a single light source and generates signal light and reference light, the spatial light modulator modulating the signal light according to a signal to be recorded in an optical recording medium to cause a polarization direction of the signal light to have a predetermined polarization direction and to cause a polarization direction of the reference light to have a polarization direction crossed at right angles with the predetermined polarization direction;
• a polarizing beam splitter which transmits light incident from the spatial light modulator irrespective of a polarization direction thereof, the polarizing beam splitter reflecting reproducing light incident from the optical recording medium toward a predetermined direction according to a polarization direction thereof and transmitting the light incident from the optical recording medium except for the reproducing light irrespective of a polarization direction thereof;
• a wavelength plate which converts linearly polarized light incident from the polarizing beam splitter into circularly polarized light and converts circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light;
• and
• a condensing optical system which condenses light incident from the wavelength plate into a predetermined area of the optical recording medium,
• wherein in the case that a hologram is to be recorded in the optical recording medium, the spatial light modulator generates the signal light and the reference light, the wavelength plate converts the generated signal light and the generated reference light into circularly polarized light in which the signal light and the reference light revolve in directions opposite to each other, and the condensing optical system condenses the circularly polarized light, which is converted with the wavelength plate and in which the signal light and the reference light revolve in directions opposite to each other, into a predetermined area of the optical recording medium, and
• in the case that a hologram recorded in the optical recording medium is to be reproduced, the spatial light modulator generates the reference light, the wavelength plate converts the generated reference light into circularly polarized light, the condensing optical system condenses the circularly polarized light, which is converted by the wavelength plate, into a predetermined area of the optical recording medium, the wavelength plate converts obtained reproducing light into linearly polarized light, and the polarizing beam splitter reflects the converted linearly polarized light toward a predetermined direction.