We Can Figure This Out.org
Virtual Lab: The Inner Workings of CD/DVD Drives
 University of Virginia
             
 
© 2003-Present, John C. Bean
 
The reflective surface of the disk bends the laser beam back upon itself.

Then, reflection at the beam splitter bends it to the left.

All this bending just makes things harder to see - so let’s take the bends out!

But if we do this, we have to clone the lens and put it at two positions: one for the beam’s first pass through the lens, and one for its second pass (after reflection from the disk).
 
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