Abstract: Incident light can be efficiently converted into near-field light whose spot size is small. A waveguide 10 includes: a metallic member 11 made of a metallic material; and a dielectric member 12 made of a dielectric material. The metallic member 11 includes a first interface 16 and a second interface 18 so as to sandwich the dielectric member 12. The first interface and the second interface are provided so that an inter-interface distance therebetween may decrease from ends 16c and 18c to ends 16d and 18d. The first interface 16 and the second interface 18 have flections P16 and P18, respectively.

Abstract: An antireflective structure having a higher antireflective effect compared with those of conventional antireflective structures is produced by a simple process. The antireflective structure (10) includes a plurality of concavities (2a) each having a plurality of convexities (1a) thereon, and a pitch between the plurality of convexities (1a) and a pitch between the plurality of concavities (2a) are smaller than a wavelength of light incident to the antireflective structure (10).

Abstract: Provided are a filter unit 4 in which a plurality of metallic particles 42 having two or more anisotropic axes are disposed with uniform orientations on a surface or interior part of a transparent dielectric medium 41 transmitting visible light, and direction adjusting means 3 for changing, in a relative manner, the polarization of incident light, which incident on the filter unit with linear polarization, and the orientation of the anisotropic axes of the metallic particles 42.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium (1a) includes: a plurality of magnetic dots (13), provided on a substrate (11), in each of which information is stored by heating of the magnetic body; and separator layers (50). Each of the separator layers (50) is structured such that a metallic body layer (52) and two dielectric body layers (51) are alternately stacked in an in-plane direction of the substrate (11). Each of the separator layers (50) separates two magnetic dots from each other in the in-plane direction. Both sides of each of the magnetic dots (13) in the in-plane direction of the substrate (11) have contact with two dielectric body layers (52), respectively. This provides a magnetic recording medium (1a) whose magnetic dots (13) can be entirely heated with a reduction in the amount of power that is consumed by a recording head.

Abstract: A magnetic sensing section is constituted by a magneto-resistive device in which a fixed magnetization layer, a non-magnetic layer, and a magnetization-free layer are deposited in that order on a first buffer layer that is deposited on a magnetic layer. A second buffer layer sandwiches the magnetic sensing section, and a biasing layer which covers right and left sides of the magnetic sensing section. The second buffer layer is deposited on the magnetic layer with a nonconductor layer interposed therebetween. A near field light generation section constituted by a second magnetic layer, a dielectric layer, and a metal layer is formed on a surface of the second buffer layer not adjacent to the nonconductor layer. The resultant magnetic sensor device can efficiently perform photo-assisted reproduction of information from a magnetic recording medium using a magnetic reproduction head or a magnetic reproducer.

Abstract: A three-dimensional image output device of the present invention includes a display control section for, in a case where a plurality of three-dimensional effects are set for initial sub-image data for displaying a three-dimensional image to be displayed in the sub-window, supplying, to the display device, a plurality of sub-image data, which are the initial sub-image data for which the respective plurality of three-dimensional effects are set, so that a plurality of three-dimensional images which use the respective plurality of sub-image data are displayed on the display screen.

Abstract: A method of the present invention for forming fine particles includes forming fine particles on a substrate by supplying, in the presence of inert gas, to the substrate, atoms or molecules of a supply material capable of being combined with a material constituting a surface of the substrate to produce a compound, the atoms or the molecules being supplied from a supply source. The supply source is positioned in such a manner as not to be directly connected by a line with the surface of the substrate where the fine particles are to be formed, and a high-frequency voltage varying positively and negatively, ranging from 100 kHz to 100 MHz, is applied to at least one of the substrate and a substrate supporter for supporting the substrate. This realizes a method for forming fine particles that allows forming highly uniformed magnetic fine particles with a periodic pattern through a simple process at a time.

Abstract: A phosphor includes semiconductor nanoparticles formed of compound semiconductor, and conductive transparent compounds. The semiconductor nanoparticles may be dispersed in or on the conductive transparent compounds. The resistivity of the conductive transparent compounds is preferably less than or equal to 10 ?m.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: an image region specifying section for specifying a first image region and/or a second image region; and a pixel value changing section for changing a pixel value of the first image region and/or the second image region specified by the image region specifying section to a pixel value indicative of a predetermined pattern. The first image region (i) includes an object that exists in the image for the left eye and does not exist in the image for the right eye and (ii) is defined based on a left side of the image for the left eye. The second image region (a) includes an object that exists in the image for the right eye and does not exist in the image for the left eye and (b) is defined based on a right side of the image for the right eye.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium (1) includes, on a substrate (50), a ROM layer (20), a RE layer (40), an intermediate layer (30) separating the ROM layer (20) and the RE layer (40), and a cover layer (10) provided in a position farthest from the substrate (50). The RE layer (40) is an information recording layer provided in a position farthest from the light transmitting layer and also is a recording layer of disc type identification information and an individual identification number recorded in a format allowing easier determination as compared to an information recording format used in the layer allowing only readout of information by use of light irradiation. Therefore, it becomes easy to check a disc type in a recording/reproducing device and one recording/reproducing device can be shared with other types of optical disks. Further, disk production becomes easy.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical information recording medium (2) capable of shortening a time from acquiring identification information to starting a program etc. recorded on an ROM layer. The optical information recording medium (2) includes two or more information recording layers, information of each of the two or more information recording layers is readable by emitting reproducing light thereto, at least one of said two or more information recording layers is an RE/R layer (4), at least another one of said two or more information recording layers is an ROM layer (5), and the RE/R layer (4) includes an identification information recording region (41), and an interlayer-movement Flag is recorded on the identification information recording region (41).

Abstract: A recording/reproducing device includes: a data comparing section which compares, at the time of ejection of an optical disc, recorded information recorded on a ROM layer of the optical disc and relevant information (e.g., additional data) which is stored in the recording/reproducing device and which is related to registered information (e.g., content) recorded on an RE layer of the optical disc; and a data selecting section which selects, based on a result of the comparison by the data comparing section, relevant information for recording to be recorded on the ROM layer of the optical disc from among the relevant information.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: Incident light can be efficiently converted into near-field light whose spot size is small. A waveguide 10 includes: a metallic member 11 made of a metallic material; and a dielectric member 12 made of a dielectric material. The metallic member 11 includes a first interface 16 and a second interface 18 so as to sandwich the dielectric member 12. The first interface and the second interface are provided so that an inter-interface distance therebetween may decrease from ends 16c and 18c to ends 16d and 18d. The first interface 16 and the second interface 18 have flections P16 and P18, respectively.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.

Abstract: An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.