The optical disc readout head - A teaching tool Available to Purchase

A study of the optical readout head used in compact disc players provides an insight into the various optical principles involved in reading the data and in maintaining correct tracking and focusing on the disc surface. A detailed analysis of the design of this widely-used consumer item can be used to illustrate how diode laser technology, dielectric coatings, optical interference and diffraction effects, low-aberration collimating and focusing optics, holographic gratings, and a quadrant silicon detector are all combined in a single unit which is designed to read data from the optical disc. This paper will describe the operation of the optical readout head and some simple experiments which can be performed to illustrate the function of the various components in the head.