Abstract: A near-field optical head which reproduces, with high S/N, information recorded with extreme density and is compact in structure. On an electrode (2) is formed a recording medium (3) that emits a light by applying an electric field. Brought into proximity to a recording medium (3) is a near-field optical head (101) having a slider (31) formed with an inverted cone formed hole such that an apex thereof is rendered as a microscopic aperture (6). A microscopic electrode (5) is formed on a side surface (32) of the inverted cone formed hole. An electric field (9) is applied only to a microscopic region to cause light emission. It is possible at the aperture (6) to detect a light emitted only by the microscopic region.

Abstract: An information recording/reproduction apparatus including a near field optical head having a minute aperture formed thereon, a substantially rod-like optical waveguide having a core and a clad, a reflection surface formed on one of end faces of the optical waveguide, for irradiating light to the near field optical head, a light reception portion and a recording medium, and utilizing near field light, a lens function is formed on a surface of the near field optical head different from the surface of the minute aperture, and a core end face is formed at an intermediate part of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: The problem of the invention is to provide a method of forming an optical aperture constituting a source of generating and detecting near field light. Hence, according to a method of fabricating an optical aperture of the invention, a face of a pushing body is made to be opposed to an object for aperture formation having a tip of a conical or a pyramidal shape formed at a substrate, a stopper arranged at a vicinity of the tip and a optical shielding film formed at least above the tip to cover at least a portion of the stopper and the tip and the pushing body is pushed to the object for aperture formation by force having a component directed to the tip to thereby form the optical aperture at the front end of the tip.

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: There is provided a near-field optical memory head for recording and/or reproducing information on a recording medium by utilizing near-field light which is a near-field optical memory head having a compact constitution and is suitable for mass production and array formation. According to the near-field optical memory head 11, in a planar substrate formed by penetrating at least one hole in a shape of an inverted pyramid such that a top portion thereof constitutes a very small aperture 4, a near-field light forming system for forming near-field light at a recording medium 1 and a near-field light detecting system for guiding propagating light 10 provided by interactively operating the formed near-field light with the very small aperture 4 to a light detecting element are integrated.

Abstract: Process of producing near-field light generating element is provided to make it possible to mass-produce near-field light generating elements at a low cost, which are high optical efficiency in use on optical memory devices or observation apparatus, and which makes it easy or unnecessary to carry out ultra-high precise positioning between the micro aperture and the luminous flux propagated from the near-field light generating element. The process of process of producing near-field light generating element of the invention includes steps of forming optical guide structure 101, irradiating convex-forming luminous flux from a surface different from the surface different from the surface on which the convex-shaped portion is formed convex forming luminous flux irradiation process 102, forming a convex and forming a micro aperture.

Abstract: To provide an information recording and reproducing apparatus for supplying light for generating near-field light to a near-field light head, generating a sufficiently large amount of near-field light at a vicinity of a very small opening and realizing reproduction and recording with ultra high resolution, recording and reproduction at high speed and high SN ratio formation, in an information recording and reproducing apparatus constituted by a record medium 107, a light source 101, a suspension arm 109, a flexure 110 fixed to the suspension arm 109, a near-field light head 301 fixed to the flexure 110 and having a very small opening on a side of the record medium 107, a light guiding structure 103 for guiding light flux from the light source 101 to the near-field light head 301 and a light receiving portion 108, the very small opening and an optical wave guide for guiding light to the very small opening are disposed on the same side of the near-field light head and the light guiding structure is constituted

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to fabricate a near field optical head capable of recording and reading high density information at high speed with excellent mass production. In the invention, stoppers having almost the same height as that of a tip of conical or pyramidal shape are disposed around the tip, a part of a pressing body covering the tip and the stoppers is displaced by an external force, a part of the pressing body having displaced is allowed to come into contact with an opaque film near the point of the tip and thereby an aperture is formed. According to a fabricating method of the invention, multiple apertures can be formed in the block. Thus, the near field optical head is excellent in mass production and the formed aperture has a structure of high optical efficiency and high resolution. Therefore, the near field optical head capable of performing recording/reading in high density and at high speed can be fabricated in excellent mass production.

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: 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: Realized are a near-field optical probe capable of illuminating or/and detecting near-field light great in intensity and acquiring an optical image great in S/N ratio, and a manufacturing method and near-field optical apparatus. Accordingly, a near-field optical probe comprises a cantilever in a cantilever form, a base for supporting the cantilever, a tip in a weight form formed on the cantilever, a microscopic aperture formed in an end of the tip, and a shade film formed on a surface of the cantilever opposite to the base and on area other than the microscopic aperture of the tip. The tip and the cantilever are formed of a transparent material high in transmissivity relative to a wavelength of light to be generated and/or detected by the microscopic aperture, and the tip is structurally filled with the transparent material.