Abstract: An apparatus for producing optical aperture is disclosed. A pressing body has a plane covering a tip and at least a part of stoppers. An opaque film formed on the tip. The pressing body is displaced toward the tip for forming an aperture on a point of the tip. According to the apparatus, the amount of displacement of the plate can be controlled excellently by the stopper and can be made very small. Thus, the aperture having a uniform and small size can be produced on the point of the tip easily.

Abstract: A near-field optical probe has a cantilever formed of a transparent material and having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface. A base supports the cantilever at the first main surface. A tip extends from the second main surface of the cantilever and has a microscopic aperture at an end thereof. The tip is formed of a transparent material having a higher refractive index than that of the transparent material of the cantilever to increase an amount of near-field light generated or detected by the microscopic aperture. A shade film is formed on the second main surface of the cantilever and on a surface of the tip except for the microscopic aperture.

Abstract: The invention equalizes the lengths of optical paths required in optical communication among optical paths constructed by plural optical fibers. Optical fibers parallel to each other at non-equal intervals are set to ADD, OUT, IN and DROP, and are used for add-drop. An ADD-OUT optical path of an optical path length A+2E from the optical fiber to the optical fiber through a fixing mirror and a movable mirror, and an IN-DROP optical path of an optical path length C+2E from the optical fiber to the optical fiber through a movable mirror and a fixing mirror are formed. When the movable mirrors are escaped, an ADD-DROP optical path of an optical path length A+B+C+2E from the optical fiber to the optical fiber through the fixing mirrors, and an IN-OUT optical path of an optical path length B+2D+2E from the optical fiber to the optical fiber through fixing mirrors are formed. Three optical paths except for ADD-DROP are set to the same length by setting A=C=B+2D.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a recording medium by utilizing near-field light, the recording apparatus realizes reliable information reproduction with a simple structure. Illumination light 20 is illuminated to the recording medium 10 to create near-field light on a surface of the recording medium 10. The created near-field light is scattered by a microscopic aperture 12 formed in the aperture element 11 so that scattering light (propagation light) thereof is detected to create a reproduced signal. Derived from the created reproduced light a distance control signal representative of a distance between the microscopic aperture 12 and the recording medium 10. Based on the distance control signal, the aperture element 11 is controlled in position. Due to this, the microscopic aperture 12 is brought into proximity to the recording medium 10.

Abstract: An optical cantilever for an SNOM has a base portion, a cantilever portion extending from the base portion and having a hole formed proximate a distal end thereof, a dielectric member extending through the hole and having a sharpened tip at a first end projecting outward of a first surface of the cantilever portion, and a light shielding film covering the first surface of the cantilever portion and the first end of the dielectric member except for a portion of the sharpened tip so as to form a very small aperture at the sharpened tip which is not covered by the light shielding film.

Abstract: An optical waveguide probe is disclosed which is used for a scanning near-field optical microscope, has a low light propagation loss, and is capable of performing an AFM operation, and a manufacturing method thereof is disclosed. The vicinity of the tip of an optical waveguide 2 is bent toward a side of a probe portion 9 through a plurality of surfaces symmetrical with respect to a plane including an optical axis of the optical waveguide 2. By this, a loss of a propagated light 7 at a bent portion 10 is reduced, and the propagated light 7 can be condensed to a minute aperture 5, so that near-field light can be efficiently emitted from the minute aperture 5.

Abstract: A near-field optical head capable of rapid recording and/or reproducing of the information is provided. The near-field optical head condenses the light from the light source and irradiates the light on the minute opening 1. Then, by means of detecting the reflected light from the light condensing mark 501 provided on the circumference of the minute opening 1, the relative position between the light condensing point condensed by the lens and the light condensing mark 501 is detected so that the light condensing point is controlled to follow the light condensing mark 501. Thus, intensive and constant near-field light can be generated in the minute opening 1 and a signal having high S/N can be obtained even by a rapid scanning of the minute opening 1 over the recording medium so that rapid recording and/or reproducing of the information is made possible.

Abstract: There is disclosed a near-field optical head having an microscopic aperture whose size can be varied. The optical head comprises a substrate of silicon. A hole in the form of an inverted cone is formed in the substrate. The top portion of this hole forms the microscopic aperture. A support portion for supporting an actuator is formed on the substrate. The actuator holds a light-blocking film in such a way that the light-blocking film stays in the hole and that the bottom surface of the light-blocking film is flush with the bottom surface of the microscopic aperture. The light-blocking film is moved by the actuator to change the aperture to desired size.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an information recording/reproduction device for implementing high-density information recording and reading using mutual interaction of a recording medium with near field light, and particularly to a near field optical head with a high optical efficiency and a manufacturing method thereof. This is achieved by enabling an energy propagation mechanism via a plasmon by forming a layer dispersed with metal particulate at a microscopic opening generating near field light, and therefore increase optical efficiency.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet feeding roller that comes in contact with stacked sheets and feeds sheets one by one from the top, wherein an air outlet is provided so that air can be blown onto the upper part of the stacked sheets from the lateral side in the sheet feeding direction, and a floatation suppression member for suppressing floatation of the sheets is provided between the air outlet and the sheet feeding roller and spaced apart from the uppermost surface of the stacked sheets.

Abstract: A frameless type working vehicle includes an intermediate vehicle body 5 acting as a body forming member for interconnecting a front vehicle body 3 and a rear vehicle body 4. The intermediate vehicle body is formed of a case block 10 housing a hydrostatic stepless transmission (HST) 20. The case block 10 includes, formed integral with one another, a small diameter portion 11 connected to the rear vehicle body 4 and providing case walls for a pump P and a motor M of HST 20, a large diameter portion 12 connected to the front vehicle body 3 and having an upper edge at a higher level than an upper surface of the small diameter portion 11, and a transitional portion 12A disposed between the small diameter portion 11 and the large diameter portion 12. The large diameter portion 12 defines an accommodating space S1 for a main clutch 9 that receives drive from an engine E.

Abstract: A near-field optical head has a slider having a minute aperture for emitting near-field light. The minute aperture has a diameter equal to or less than a wavelength of visible light. The slider is supported by a suspension arm for exerting a load, receiving a floating force due to relative movement with a recording medium, and forming a gap between the slider and the recording medium through a balance between the load and the floating force. A light propagating medium has an output end for emitting light. An optical path length shortening structure shortens an optical path length between the output end of the light propagating medium and the minute aperture of the slider. A mirror is disposed over the slider for guiding light emitted from the light propagating medium to the minute aperture of the slider.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a transparent conductive layered structure which comprises a transparent substrate, a transparent conductive layer and a transparent coating layer formed successively in this order on the substrate, and is used in, for instance, the front panel of displays such as CRT, etc. The transparent conductive layered structure according to the invention is characterized in that the main components of the above-mentioned transparent conductive layer are gold microparticles or gold-containing noble metal microparticles containing 5 wt % or more of gold with a mean particle diameter of 1 to 100 nm, and a binder matrix comprising at least one functional group selected from mercapto groups (—SH), sulfide groups (—S), and polysulfide groups (—Sx, X≧2). Film strength and weather resistance of the transparent conductive layer are improved because the noble metal microparticles and a binder matrix are firmly bonded via the above-mentioned functional groups.

Abstract: A process produces a transparent conductive layer forming coating liquid by combining a colloidal dispersion of fine silver particles, a reducing agent and at least one of an alkali metal aurate solution and/or an alkali metal platinate solution to obtain a colloidal dispersion of noble-metal-coated fine silver particles coated with gold and/or platinum. A cation exchanger is added to the combination. The colloidal dispersion of noble-metal-coated fine silver particles is obtained while any impurity ions formed as a result of reduction are removed through the cation exchanger. This process enables the raw-material concentration to be set at a higher concentration than the conventional process to enable production of the transparent conductive layer forming coating liquid at a low cost and a good productivity.

Abstract: In a recording apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a recording medium by utilizing near-field light, the recording apparatus realizes reliable information reproduction with a simple structure. Illumination light 20 is illuminated to the recording medium 10 to create near-field light on a surface of the recording medium 10. The created near-field light is scattered by a microscopic aperture 12 formed in the aperture element 11 so that scattering light (propagation light) thereof is detected to create a reproduced signal. Derived from the created reproduced light a distance control signal representative of a distance between the microscopic aperture 12 and the recording medium 10. Based on the distance control signal, the aperture element 11 is controlled in position. Due to this, the microscopic aperture 12 is brought into proximity to the recording medium 10.

Abstract: A recording medium for recording and reproducing information utilizing near field light has a transparent substrate and a data mark arrangement layer disposed over a surface of the transparent substrate. A metal particulate is dispersed only in the data mark arrangement layer so that a surface plasma is generated upon interaction of the data mark arrangement layer with near field light generated by incident light or irradiating light to thereby amplify the intensity of scattered light generated as a result of the interaction between the data mark arrangement layer and the near field light.

Abstract: A work vehicle has an engine (1), a PTO shaft (6, 7) driven by power from the engine, an operator's seat (19), an operator's presence sensor (26) for detecting presence/absence of an operator at the operator's seat, and an automatic engine stop unit (39) operable to automatically stop the engine in response to detection of the operator's absence at the operator's seat. The work vehicle includes a utility member (A) for the vehicle selectively movable between a use position and a non-use position, a non-use state detecting sensor (27) for detecting movement of the utility member to the non-use position, and an override unit (40) operable to override the automatic engine stop function of the automatic engine stop unit, the override unit providing an override signal to the automatic engine stop unit in response to detection by the non-use state detecting sensor of the movement of the utility member to the non-use position.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a near-field light-generating element having a minute scattering body inside an aperture, the scattering body producing plasmons by being illuminated with light, includes a step of forming minute scattering bodies periodically arranged on a substrate, a step of selecting the periodically arranged minute scattering bodies except for only one minute scattering body, and a step of forming the aperture such that the single minute scattering body is placed inside the aperture.

Abstract: There is described an image-forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording medium, a size of which is larger than that of the toner image being a fixed form size, based on image data corresponding to the fixed form size. The image-forming apparatus includes an image-forming section to form the toner image in a region of the fixed form size, based on the image data corresponding to the fixed form size, and to form a specific toner image in a specific region outside the fixed form size, both the region and the specific region being shared each other within a whole area of the recording medium; and a controlling section to control the image-forming section so as to form a predetermined patch image, serving as the specific toner image, in the specific region outside the fixed form size.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of solidifying sulfur component being the cause of “SOx poisoning” by use of a sulfur solidifier. The solidifier includes a metal element having a function of oxidizing the sulfur component and a basic metal element. And the solidifier solidifies sulfur component before exhaust gas flows into an NOx-occluding reduction-type exhaust purifying catalyst located on an exhaust path. Since the foregoing sulfur solidifier includes the above metal element and the basic metal element, it can effectively solidify the sulfur component which are the cause of the SOx poisoning, and ensure improvement in purification performance.