JP2001337284A - Optical device using optical waveguide array - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide an optical device capable of generating a plurality of beams having a close beam diameter and a uniform beam shape. A plurality of laser beams are emitted from an optical waveguide array (9), and a plurality of beams emitted from the optical waveguide array are collimated by a coupling lens (8) and are stopped at an image plane focal position of the coupling lens (7). Was provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an optical device such as a laser printer, an optical disk device, etc., which performs high-speed optical recording with a plurality of beams.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an optical recording apparatus such as a laser printer, high speed and high resolution are required, and in the case of a single beam, the rotation speed of a polygon mirror, the modulation speed of a laser beam, and the like exceed their limits. It has become. Therefore, it is necessary to use a plurality of beams.

[0003]

Although a semiconductor laser array is often used for this purpose, it is difficult to increase the number of a plurality of beams, and the latest semiconductor laser array such as a so-called blue semiconductor laser which generates blue laser light is used. It is also difficult to form an array of semiconductor lasers from the viewpoint of the yield of device production and capital investment.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to use a plurality of individual semiconductor lasers without using a semiconductor laser array formed by integrating individual semiconductor lasers, and to provide a plurality of semiconductor lasers having a uniform beam diameter and a uniform beam shape. An object of the present invention is to realize an optical device capable of generating a beam.

[0005]

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical apparatus for modulating and scanning a plurality of laser beams and scanning on a photosensitive material, wherein the plurality of laser beams are emitted from an optical waveguide array and are transmitted from the optical waveguide array. The plurality of outgoing beams are collimated by a combining lens, and this is achieved by providing a stop at the image plane focal position of the combining lens.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows claims 1 and 2 of the present invention.
An example corresponding to the description is shown. The semiconductor laser module 10 efficiently guides the laser light generated from the semiconductor laser 12 into the optical fiber 11 and welds the emission end face of the optical fiber 11 to the incidence end face in one optical waveguide in the optical waveguide array 9. The light in the optical fiber 11 is guided into the optical waveguide. Similarly, laser light emitted from each semiconductor laser is guided into all the optical waveguides in the optical waveguide array 9. A plurality of beams emitted from the optical waveguide array are collimated using a collimator lens 8, and an aperture 7 having a diameter equal to or smaller than the minimum diameter of the plurality of beams passing through the collimator lens 8 is set at the image plane focal position of the collimator lens 8. I do.

The plurality of beams that have passed through the stop 7 pass through the lenses 6 and 5, and
Combined above. In addition, by installing a cylindrical lens in front of the polygon mirror, the beam is narrowed down in the sub-scanning direction on the polygon mirror, and the tilt of the polygon mirror is corrected. The beam reflected on the polygon mirror 3 passes through the fθ lens, and then forms an image on the photosensitive drum and is scanned.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the beam emitted from the optical waveguide has a beam diameter that increases as the distance from the output end surface increases, passes through a collimator lens, is collimated, and passes through a stop. A plurality of beams having the same beam diameter as the diameter of the stop and having the same beam shape are emitted from the stop.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an embodiment corresponding to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention. The semiconductor laser module 10 efficiently guides the laser light generated from the semiconductor laser 12 into the optical fiber 11 and welds the emission end face of the optical fiber 11 to the incidence end face in one optical waveguide in the optical waveguide array 9. The light in the optical fiber 11 is guided into the optical waveguide. Similarly, laser light emitted from each semiconductor laser is guided into all the optical waveguides in the optical waveguide array 9. The exit end face 17 of the optical waveguide array is adhered to and adhered to a quartz glass on which a film patterned with an aperture is deposited at a position where the center of the aperture coincides with the optical axis of the beam emitted from the optical waveguide array. Have been. A plurality of beams emitted from the stop are collimated by passing through a collimator lens 8,
By passing through the lenses 6 and 5, the light is coupled on the polygon mirror 3. In addition, by installing a cylindrical lens in front of the polygon mirror, the beam is narrowed down in the sub-scanning direction on the polygon mirror, and the tilt of the polygon mirror is corrected.

The beam reflected on the polygon mirror 3 is
After passing through the fθ lens, an image is formed on the photosensitive drum and scanned. The deposited film 14 on the quartz glass 15 is made of aluminum, chrome, or the like that does not transmit a beam emitted from the optical waveguide array 9.

As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of beams emitted from the optical waveguide array are emitted as beams having a uniform beam diameter and beam shape by passing through a stop.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, in an optical recording apparatus using an optical waveguide array, a plurality of beams emitted from the optical waveguide array are collimated using a collimator lens, and the collimator lens is used. An aperture having a diameter equal to or smaller than the minimum diameter of a plurality of beams passing through the image plane focal position is set. Alternatively, a quartz glass on which an aperture-patterned film is deposited is adhered to the exit end face of the optical waveguide array in a position where the center position of the aperture coincides with the optical axis of the beam emitted from the optical waveguide array. . By doing so, the beam diameters and beam shapes of a plurality of beams passing through the stop can be made uniform.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a diaphragm portion in the configuration of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of an optical waveguide array and a stop in the configuration of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a diaphragm portion in the configuration of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Photosensitive drum, 2 ... ftheta lens, 3 ... Polygon mirror, 4 ... Cylindrical lens, 5, 6 ... Lens, 7, 1
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Aperture, 8 ... Collimator lens, 9 ... Optical waveguide array, 10 ... Semiconductor laser module, 11 ... Optical fiber, 12 ... Semiconductor laser, 14 ... Evaporation film, 15 ... Quartz glass plate, 16 ... Optical waveguide, 17 ... Emission End face, 18 ... optical axis.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An optical apparatus for modulating and scanning a plurality of laser beams to scan a photosensitive material, wherein the plurality of laser beams are emitted from an optical waveguide array, and the plurality of beams emitted from the optical waveguide array are combined by a coupling lens. An optical device using an optical waveguide array, wherein a collimated aperture is provided at an image plane focal position of the coupling lens. 2. An optical device using an optical waveguide array according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the stop is set to be equal to or smaller than the minimum diameter of a plurality of beams passing through the stop. 3. An optical device for modulating and scanning a plurality of laser beams to scan a photosensitive material, wherein the plurality of laser beams are emitted from an optical waveguide array, and a stop is patterned on an emission end face of the optical waveguide array. An optical device using an optical waveguide array, wherein a glass plate on which a film is formed is bonded. 4. An optical device using an optical waveguide array according to claim 3, wherein the diameter of the stop is set to be equal to or smaller than the minimum diameter of a plurality of beams passing through the stop.