Optical pickup apparatus an optical axis correcting element

摘要

An optical pickup apparatus has a simplified configuration for using a plurality of laser beams at different wavelength to reduce the size, and a laser diode chip for use therewith. An irradiation light path for leading a laser beam emitted from a light emitter to a recording medium is provided with an optical axis correcting element for passing a first laser beam and for diffracting a second laser beam having a wavelength different from that of the first laser beam to generate diffracted light which has the optical axis substantially matching the optical axis of the first laser beam. The optical axis correcting element is arranged at a position at which the center of a light intensity distribution of the first laser beam incident thereto matches the center of a light intensity distribution of the second laser beam incident thereto.