Disclosed is an optical head in which position adjustment of a
photodetector light receiving surface or component parts may be
simplified, production costs may be reduced and operational reliability
may be improved. The optical head includes a light source 22, radiating
light of a preset wavelength, an objective lens 27 for condensing the
outgoing light from the light source 22 on an optical disc 2 and for
condensing the return light from the optical disc 2, a beam splitter 25
for branching the optical path of the return light reflected by the
optical disc 2, and for collimating the branched return light so as to be
parallel to the outgoing light from the light source 22, a composite
optical component including a splitting prism 30 arranged on a site of
incidence of the branched return light for spatially splitting the return
light, and a light receiving unit for receiving plural return light beams
spatially split by the splitting prism 30 for producing focusing error
signals.