Patent attributes
An optical pickup for recording or reproducing information to an optical disk, includes: a first photodetector for detecting a return light from the optical disk, wherein the first photodetector is configured so that the first photodetector is divided into three portions in a radial direction corresponding to a radial direction of the optical disk and light receiving elements at both end portions in the radial direction are divided into three portions in substantially a track direction perpendicular to the radial direction, so that the first photodetector includes a light receiving element at a central portion in the radial direction and the three light receiving portions at each of both the end portions to be seven in total to output a light receiving element signal based on light reception of the return light as a track error signal generation signal.
