Abstract: A light irradiation device irradiates a specimen in a flow channel with directional light. The light irradiation device includes a light source that emits the directional light, and an irradiation control unit that irradiates the specimen in the flow channel with light, obtains positional information of the specimen, and controls the irradiation of the directional light based on the positional information.

Abstract: A user carries a user medium in a facility, for example, in a theme park. Position data and time data are written into the user medium according to user's actions. Photographic devices installed at predetermined places constantly take pictures, and the pictures are stored in a picture production apparatus. When the user wishes to receive the pictures of himself/herself, he/she allows the picture production apparatus to read the data of the user medium when he/she leaves the facility. The picture production apparatus then extracts pictures for the user from the stored pictures based on the data read from the user medium, and produces a picture package. Then, the picture production apparatus records the produced picture package into a portable recording medium, for example, a disk, a memory card, or magnetic tape, and provides it to the user, or distributes the picture package to the user via a communication line.

Abstract: A light irradiation method of irradiating a specimen in a flow channel with directional light includes the step of irradiating the specimen with the directional light while performing scanning using the directional light in a widthwise direction of the flow channel. The directional light has an irradiation spot that is smaller than a width of the flow channel. Accordingly, energy density of the irradiation spot can be increased without increasing output power of a light source.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical lens suitable for a near-field optical recording/reproducing system. A condenser lens, optical pickup, and optical recording/reproducing apparatus each using this optical lens are also disclosed. This optical lens is formed from an SiC single crystal having a cubic structure. The condenser lens includes a first optical lens and a second optical lens arranged in this order from an objective surface, and at least the first optical lens is formed from an SiC single crystal having a cubic structure. The optical pickup includes a light source and a condenser lens for converging light emitted from the light source to form a beam spot. This condenser lens has the same configuration as the above. The optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes this optical pickup.

Abstract: An optical recording medium 10 on which recording/reproducing or reproducing is performed by irradiating a light by means of an objective lens 4 having a numerical aperture equal to or more than 1 wherein an optical recording portion 2 is provided at least at the outer most surface at the irradiation side of the optical recording medium 10 and a relation n?NA is selected when the refractive index of the recording portion 2 is n and the numerical aperture of the objective lens 4 is NA. Accordingly, it can propose an optical recording medium and an optical recording/reproducing method suitable for a near-field optical recording method which uses an objective lens having a numerical aperture equal to or more than 1.

Abstract: An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a laser light source from which a laser beam having a wavelength of from 220 nm to 280 nm exits; and a converging lens unit disposed at a nearfield area of a recording medium and upon which the laser beam from the laser light source is incident. The converging lens unit includes an objective lens and a solid immersion lens. The solid immersion lens is disposed between the objective lens and the recording medium, and is formed of a highly refractive material having a high transmittance. The information recording and/or reproducing apparatus records an information signal onto or reproduces an information signal from the recording medium by irradiating the recording medium with the laser beam from the laser light source.

Abstract: An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a laser light source from which a laser beam having a wavelength of from 220 nm to 280 nm exits; and a converging lens unit disposed at a nearfield area of a recording medium and upon which the laser beam from the laser light source is incident. The converging lens unit includes an objective lens and a solid immersion lens. The solid immersion lens is disposed between the objective lens and the recording medium, and is formed of a highly refractive material having a high transmittance. The information recording and/or reproducing apparatus records an information signal onto or reproduces an information signal from the recording medium by irradiating the recording medium with the laser beam from the laser light source.

Abstract: An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a laser light source from which a laser beam having a wavelength of from 220 nm to 280 nm exits; and a converging lens unit disposed at a nearfield area of a recording medium and upon which the laser beam from the laser light source is incident. The converging lens unit includes an objective lens and a solid immersion lens. The solid immersion lens is disposed between the objective lens and the recording medium, and is formed of a highly refractive material having a high transmittance. The information recording and/or reproducing apparatus records an information signal onto or reproduces an information signal from the recording medium by irradiating the recording medium with the laser beam from the laser light source.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical lens having a high refractive index and a low light absorption characteristic in an ultraviolet-wavelength region; a condenser lens composed of the optical lens, fit for the near-field optical recording/reproducing system; an optical pickup that includes the condenser lens and can reduce the condensed light spot irradiating a recording medium and also manage to make the recording medium higher in recording density and greater in capacity; and an optical recording/reproducing apparatus comprising the optical pickup to enable optical recording and reproduction in high recording density to be performed.

Abstract: A convex portion is provided on the objective side of a solid immersion lens so as to protrude toward an optical recording medium and a difference-in-level portion or a concave portion is provided at least on a part of this convex portion. Then, there are provided a solid immersion lens for satisfactorily holding the bonding state of a lens holding member, a focusing lens using this solid immersion lens, an optical pickup apparatus, an optical recording and reproducing apparatus and a method of forming a solid immersion lens.

Abstract: In a lens holding member for holding a solid immersion lens, when a difference-in-level portion and/or slant face is constructed at least on a part of the objective side surface, a tilt margin which can be applied to a near field optical recording and reproduction solid immersion lens can be maintained. In a focusing lens using such lens holding member, the optical pickup apparatus and the optical recording and reproducing apparatus, stable transportation between the lens and the optical recording medium can be improved.

Abstract: An optical recording and reproduction method, optical pickup device, and optical recording and reproduction device are provided, in which an optical recording medium is irradiated with near-field light to perform recording and/or reproduction, and wherein two or more recording and reproduction beam spots are positioned in a recording and reproduction area between guide tracks on the optical recording medium to perform recording and/or reproduction, as a consequence of which application to near-field optical recording and reproduction is ideally performed, and high transfer rates become possible.

Abstract: With an optical lens made of a Y3Al5O12 monocrystal material of a cubic crystal structure, an optical lens having a high refractive index and a low optical absorption property in the range from an ultraviolet light wavelength to a visible light wavelength is provided, and using this optical lens, an optical lens and a focusing lens suitable for a near-field optical recording and reproducing method are provided, and further an optical pickup device and an optical recording and reproducing device to cope with an increase in density and capacity of an optical recording medium are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical lens having a high refractive index and a low light absorption characteristic in an ultraviolet-wavelength region; a condenser lens composed of the optical lens, fit for the near-field optical recording/reproducing system; an optical pickup that includes the condenser lens and can reduce the condensed light spot irradiating a recording medium and also manage to make the recording medium higher in recording density and greater in capacity; and an optical recording/reproducing apparatus comprising the optical pickup to enable optical recording and reproduction in high recording density to be performed.

Abstract: A solid immersion lens 11 has an inclined portion 4 formed on at least a part thereof from the tip end portion of the objective side to a spherical portion and an inclination angle ? is expressed as ??i where ?i represents the angle of incidence of light incident on the solid immersion lens 11. There are provided a solid immersion lens capable of increasing a tilt margin between a lens and an optical recording medium and so on and which can decrease a diameter of a lens and a method for forming a solid immersion lens.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical lens having a high refractive index and a low light absorption characteristic in a ultraviolet-wavelength region, a condenser lens fit for the near-field optical recording/reproducing system, an optical pickup capable of dealing with reducing a condensed light spot irradiating a recording medium and making the recording medium higher in density and greater in capacity, and an optical recording/reproducing apparatus comprising the optical pickup to enable optical recording and reproduction in high recording density to be performed. The optical lens 11 is made of optical material selected among HfO2, HfO2—Y2O3, HfO2—TiO2, HfO2—Sc2O3, HfO2—Nd2O3, HfO2-Ln2O3, Sc2O3, MgO, Y203, WO3, Gd2O3, Eu2O3, Dy2O3. The condenser lens 13 is composed of one or more optical lenses 11, 12 including the optical lens 11.

Abstract: Information is recorded on a light transmission material such as a light transmission substrate (1) or a light transmission protecting film as a change of refractive index or a change of extinction coefficient or a change of transmittance or a change of reflectance.

Abstract: An optical recording medium 10 is recorded and reproduced with irradiation of light L and recorded pits are recorded with irradiation of light L through an objective lens 4 of which numerical aperture is greater than 1, at least a silicon layer 3 and a silicon oxide layer 2 being formed from the light irradiation side, in that order. An optical recording medium and an optical recording and reproducing method thereof are suitable for use with a near-field optical recording and reproducing system using an objective lens of which numerical aperture is greater than 1.

Abstract: A user carries a user medium in a facility, for example, in a theme park. Position data and time data are written into the user medium according to user's actions. Photographic devices installed at predetermined places constantly take pictures, and the pictures are stored in a picture production apparatus. When the user wishes to receive the pictures of himself/herself, he/she allows the picture production apparatus to read the data of the user medium when he/she leaves the facility. The picture production apparatus then extracts pictures for the user from the stored pictures based on the data read from the user medium, and produces a picture package. Then, the picture production apparatus records the produced picture package into a portable recording medium, for example, a disk, a memory card, or magnetic tape, and provides it to the user, or distributes the picture package to the user via a communication line.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical lens suitable for a near-field optical recording/reproducing system. A condenser lens, optical pickup, and optical recording/reproducing apparatus each using this optical lens are also disclosed. This optical lens is formed from an SiC single crystal having a cubic structure. The condenser lens includes a first optical lens and a second optical lens arranged in this order from an objective surface, and at least the first optical lens is formed from an SiC single crystal having a cubic structure. The optical pickup includes a light source and a condenser lens for converging light emitted from the light source to form a beam spot. This condenser lens has the same configuration as the above. The optical recording/reproducing apparatus includes this optical pickup.