An optical disk device is provided with an optical pickup that includes a convergent
optical system having an objective lens for converging a light beam emitted from
the laser light source to form a microspot on an optical disk and an aberration
correcting optical system for controlling a spherical aberration of the convergent
optical system, and performs information recording or reproduction with respect
to a multi-layer optical disk having at least a first recording layer and a second
recording layer. In the optical disk device, an operation of changing a correction
quantity of the spherical aberration from a value adequate for the first recording
layer to a predetermined value is started before an operation of moving a focus
position of the microspot from the first layer to the second layer is completed.
This allows a focus control to be performed stably with respect to the second recording
layer in a state in which the spherical aberration correction already has been
carried out, thereby preventing the focus control from failing due to an unsuccessful
interlayer jump.