Abstract: In a measuring method utilizing the phenomenon of attenuation in total internal reflection in which a light beam is caused to enter a dielectric block provided with a film layer to be brought into contact with a sample so that total internal reflection conditions are satisfied at the interface of the dielectric block and the film layer and various angles of incidence of the light beam to the interface of the dielectric block and the film layer can be obtained, and the intensity of the light beam reflected in total internal reflection at the interface is detected, the light beam is caused to intermittently impinge upon the dielectric block.

Abstract: A photosensitive resist layer is formed on one surface of a single-polarized ferroelectric substance having nonlinear optical effects. The resist layer has properties such that, when light is irradiated to the resist layer, only exposed areas of the resist layer or only unexposed areas of the resist layer become soluble in a developing solvent. The resist layer is then exposed to near-field light in a periodic pattern with a device, which receives exposure light and produces the near-field light in the periodic pattern. The resist layer is then developed to form a periodic pattern. A periodic electrode is then formed on the one surface of the ferroelectric substance by utilizing the periodic pattern of the resist layer as a mask, the periodic electrode being formed at positions corresponding to opening areas of the mask.

Abstract: A recording medium comprises a substrate and a recording layer overlaid on the substrate. The recording layer comprises a material, which has properties such that, when recording light having a predetermined wavelength ?1 is irradiated to the material, the material is capable of being caused to change into a fluorescent material and such that, when excitation light having a wavelength ?2 is then irradiated to the thus formed fluorescent material, the fluorescent material is capable of being caused to produce fluorescence. The wavelength ?1 of the recording light and the wavelength ?2 of the excitation light may be identical or different. The substrate may be constituted of a material having properties such that, when the excitation light is irradiated to the material, the material does not produce fluorescence having a wavelength identical with the wavelength of the fluorescence produced by the fluorescent material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a sensor utilizing attenuated total reflection. The sensor is constructed of a measuring chip, an optical system, and a measuring section. The measuring chip is equipped with a dielectric block, a thin film layer formed on the dielectric block, and a liquid-sample holding portion for holding a liquid sample. The optical system is used to make a light beam enter the dielectric block at various angles of incidence so that a total internal reflection condition is satisfied at an interface between the dielectric block and the thin film layer. The measuring section measures the state of attenuated total reflection, based on the intensity of the light beam totally reflected at the interface. The liquid-sample holding portion has an opening at its top surface. The sensor further has a lid supply mechanism for placing a lid on the opening to prevent evaporation of the liquid sample.

Abstract: A small-sized measuring apparatus having a stray light suppressing capability for detecting the distribution of optical intensities on the cross section of a light beam having a predetermined wavelength contained in a light beam reflected from a measuring surface by entering a collimated light beam having a large cross sectional area into the measuring surface. A collimated light beam having a sufficient cross sectional area is entered into the interface between a dielectric block and a thin metal film formed on the dielectric block at an angle that satisfies the conditions of total reflection. A light beam having a predetermined wavelength is selected from the light beam totally reflected at the interface to detect the distribution of optical intensities for the selected light beam by the wavelength selecting section capable of eliminating stray light.

Abstract: A recording medium comprises a substrate and a recording layer overlaid on the substrate. The recording layer comprises a material, which has properties such that, when recording light having a predetermined wavelength ?1 is irradiated to the material, the material is capable of being caused to change into a fluorescent material and such that, when excitation light having a wavelength ?2 is then irradiated to the thus formed fluorescent material, the fluorescent material is capable of being caused to produce fluorescence. The wavelength ?1 of the recording light and the wavelength ?2 of the excitation light may be identical or different. The substrate may be constituted of a material having properties such that, when the excitation light is irradiated to the material, the material does not produce fluorescence having a wavelength identical with the wavelength of the fluorescence produced by the fluorescent material.

Abstract: A photosensitive resist layer is formed on one surface of a single-polarized ferroelectric substance having nonlinear optical effects. The resist layer has properties such that, when light is irradiated to the resist layer, only exposed areas of the resist layer or only unexposed areas of the resist layer become soluble in a developing solvent. The resist layer is then exposed to near-field light in a periodic pattern with a device, which receives exposure light and produces the near-field light in the periodic pattern. The resist layer is then developed to form a periodic pattern. A periodic electrode is then formed on the one surface of the ferroelectric substance by utilizing the periodic pattern of the resist layer as a mask, the periodic electrode being formed at positions corresponding to opening areas of the mask.

Abstract: A sensor utilizing an evanescent wave and comprising a light source for emitting a light beam and a measuring chip formed into the shape of a well. The measuring chip has a dielectric block and a thin film layer formed on one surface of the dielectric block. The sensor also includes an optical system for making the light beam enter the dielectric block at angles of incidence so that a total internal reflection condition is satisfied at an interface between the dielectric block and the thin film layer. The sensor further includes a sample supply-discharge unit which is detachably installed within the measuring chip. The sample supply-discharge unit is used for continuously supplying the sample onto the surface of the thin film layer and continuously discharging the supplied sample from the surface of the thin film layer.

Abstract: A photosensitive resist layer is formed on one surface of a single-polarized ferroelectric substance having nonlinear optical effects. The resist layer has properties such that, when light is irradiated to the resist layer, only exposed areas of the resist layer or only unexposed areas of the resist layer become soluble in a developing solvent. The resist layer is then exposed to near-field light in a periodic pattern with a device, which receives exposure light and produces the near-field light in the periodic pattern. The resist layer is then developed to form a periodic pattern. A periodic electrode is then formed on the one surface of the ferroelectric substance by utilizing the periodic pattern of the resist layer as a mask, the periodic electrode being formed at positions corresponding to opening areas of the mask.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a sensor utilizing attenuated total reflection. The sensor includes a first dielectric block; a thin film layer, formed on a first face of the dielectric block, for placing a sample thereon; and a light source for emitting a light beam. The sensor further includes an optical incidence system for collimating the light beam, and making the collimated light beam enter the dielectric block at a predetermined incidence angle so that a condition for total internal reflection is satisfied at an interface between the dielectric block and the thin film layer; a photodetector for detecting the refractive index distribution of the sample obtained within a plane along the interface, by detecting an image carried by the light beam totally reflected at the interface; and an optical compensation system for compensating for image distortion produced by the dielectric block when the predetermined incidence angle of the light beam varies.

Abstract: A near-field light-emitting element includes a transparent medium having a plane of incidence into which a laser beam enters, and a light-condensing plane on which the laser beam having entered the plane of incidence is concentrated, and a metal body provided on the light-condensing plane of the transparent medium having a first surface contacting the light-condensing plane, a second surface opposing the first surface, and an aperture which is formed to penetrate through the first and second surfaces at a position where the laser beam is concentrated and which emits a near-field light obtained from the laser beam. The metal body is arranged apart from a center of the aperture by a predetermined distance to connect together the first and second surfaces, and has a plasmon reflection plane that reflects toward the aperture a surface plasmon excited on the first and second surfaces by the laser beam concentrated at the aperture.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a dielectric block, a thin film layer formed on the dielectric block and brought into contact with a sample, a light source for generating a light beam, an optical incident system for causing the light beam to enter the dielectric block so that the light beam is totally reflected at the interface between the dielectric block and the thin film, and a two-dimensional light detection means for detecting the intensity of the light beam totally reflected at the interface. A predetermined pattern is formed within a region irradiated with the light beam on the dielectric block. The measurement apparatus includes a correction means for correcting an output from the two-dimensional light detection means, based on the pattern, so that an object on the face of the dielectric block is similar to the object detected by the two-dimensional detection means.

Abstract: In a Raman spectroscopy, the surface of metal film which is formed on a dielectric substrate in thickness of 50 to 200 nm and is characterized in that a plurality of fine holes satisfying the conditions defined by the following formulae are formed is caused to adsorb the material to be analyzed, light is projected onto the surface and the scattering light scattered by the surface is separated to obtain a spectrum of the scattering light, ? = a ? ? ? ( ? ? ? ? 1 · ?2 ?1 + ?2 ) 1 2 d<? wherein ? represents the wavelength of the projected light, a represents the cycle of the fine holes, d represents the diameter of the fine holes, ?1 represents the dielectric constant of the metal film and ?2 represents the dielectric constant of the medium around the surface of the metal film.

Abstract: A mask for exposure 1 having an aperture in a prescribed pattern formed on one surface and subjected to proximity field exposure in a state kept in contact with the surface of a wafer 2. The mask 1 is made of a transparent material such as glass or quartz glass. The mask 1 forms a circular shape with a thickness of 1 mm or less, preferably 0.1-0.5 mm.

Abstract: A mask for exposure 1 having an aperture in a prescribed pattern formed on one surface and subjected to proximity field exposure in a state kept in contact with the surface of a wafer 2. The mask 1 is made of a transparent material such as glass or quartz glass. The mask 1 forms a circular shape with a thickness of 1 mm or less, preferably 0.1-0.5 mm.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus for measuring the state of attenuated total reflection over time for a single measuring unit without being affected by the change in measuring conditions arising from replacement and resetting of the sample. A light beam is entered into the interface between a dielectric block and a metal film having a dielectric film thereon at various incident angles within the angle range that creates two or more dark lines due to attenuated total reflections, and the variation in the positions of other dark lines are measured with reference to the dark line having the least positional variation among them.

Abstract: A fine structure body comprising first fine metal particles, which have head regions projected upwardly from a surface of a base body, is utilized. A substance capable of undergoing specific binding with a test body is fixed to the head regions of the first fine metal particles. Second fine metal particles, to which a substance capable of undergoing specific binding with the test body has been fixed, are dispersed in a sample liquid. The test body is detected from variation of a resonance wavelength of localized plasmon resonance, which variation occurs when the test body is adsorbed to the surface of the fine structure body by being sandwiched between the substance fixed to the first fine metal particle and the substance fixed to the second fine metal particle.

Abstract: An optical device having a structure which contains a metallic layer and enables excitation of plasmon resonance, such as a measurement chip for use with a surface-plasmon-resonance biosensor having a metallic layer. In order to prevent oxidation of the metallic layer, the metallic layer is covered with a film made of a mercapto compound containing a benzene ring and/or a hetero ring, or a reductive compound containing a metal-binding group which can be bound to the metal of which the metallic layer is made.

Abstract: In a microstructure: minute pores are formed at a surface of a substrate in such a manner that the minute pores are dispersedly distributed over the surface, and the gaps between the minute pores are 1 micrometer or smaller; minute metal particles are arranged at the minute pores and have such sizes that the minute metal particles can cause localized plasmon resonance; the minute metal particles have head portions protruding from the surface; and the diameters of the head portions are greater than the diameters of the minute pores. In Raman spectrometry, a specimen material is absorbed by the surface from which the head portions protrude, light is applied to the surface, and a spectrum of scattered light is obtained.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus is disclosed which includes a measuring unit equipped with a dielectric block and a thin film layer; an incidence system for making a light beam enter the dielectric block so that a condition for total internal reflection is satisfied at an interface between the dielectric block and the thin film layer; and a photodetector for receiving the light beam totally reflected at the interface. The measuring unit is measured a plurality of times, and a change in the state of attenuated total reflection during the plurality of measurements is detected. The sensor further includes a tilt measurement section for measuring the longitudinal tilt of the interface which changes the incidence angles during the plurality of measurements, and a calculating section for obtaining a measured value in which errors due to the longitudinal tilt have been corrected.