Provided is a recording method with which wasteful consumption of the M number (M/#) of the recording material is prevented, and with which the recording density is improved. An optical information recording device that utilizes interference between signal light and reference light to record information on an optical information recording medium is equipped with: a light source that emits light toward an optical recording medium; a beam-splitting element that splits the emission light emitted from the light source into signal light and reference light; and a reference light angle control unit that controls the incidence angle of the reference light with respect to the optical information recording medium. The optical recording medium is irradiated with the signal light as a spherical wave and is irradiated with the reference light as a planar wave, and when information is recorded on the optical information recording medium, the optical information recording medium is irradiated such that there exists in the interior of the optical information recording medium a region which is exposed only to the signal light, a region which is exposed only to the reference light, and a region which is exposed to overlapping signal light and reference light.

Provided is a holographic data storage system characterized by including: a first polarizing beam splitter (PBS), wherein at least either of a first lens module and a second lens module transmits P-polarized light and reflects S-polarized light; a relay lens collecting light passing through the first PBS; a mirror reflecting the light collected through the relay lens back to the relay lens; and a quarter wave plate located between a second PBS beam splitter and the relay lens, converting transmitted linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light, and converting the circularly polarized light into linearly polarized light. By reducing the volume of the relay lens, it is possible to decrease the size of the holographic data storage system, and by decreasing the number of lenses, it is possible to lower manufacturing costs.

To provide an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus capable of correct positioning, in an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus which branches a light beam into reference light and signal light to cause interference and records an obtained interference fringe as a hologram on an optical information recording medium and reproduces the hologram recorded by applying the reference light onto the optical information recording medium, the apparatus has an image pickup element which detects reproduction light passing through an aperture 101 in reproduction light obtained by applying the reference light onto the optical information recording medium and generates a reproduction signal, photo detectors 104a, 104b, 104c, and 104d that are different from the image pickup element and detect reproduction light applied on a location on the periphery of the aperture 101, and a computing unit which computes a position error signal based on outputs from the photo detectors.