Abstract: An optical aperture is fabricated by providing a pressing body and object having a substrate, at least one conical- or pyramidal-shaped tip disposed on the substrate, at least one stopper disposed on the substrate at a vicinity of the tip, and an optical shielding film disposed on at least a portion of each of the stopper and the tip. A surface of the pressing body is then disposed in confronting relation to the object. The pressing body is then displaced to bring the surface of the pressing body in contact with the object so that a force component is directed to a front end of the tip to form an optical aperture at the front end of the tip.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical switch consisting of a support substrate, a movable raw optical fiber, a fixed raw optical fiber, a magnetic member for the movable raw optical fiber, and a leaf spring. The fibers are disposed in a V-shaped groove formed in the substrate. The magnetic member is actuated by an electromagnet disposed above the substrate. The leaf spring pushes the movable raw optical fiber into the V-shaped groove. The structure of the switch is relatively simple. Since the movable raw optical fiber is pushed using the leaf spring, the switch is less affected by the assembly accuracy than conventional. It is easy to make adjustments during assembly. Consequently, high-performance, low-cost, optical switch that can be mass-produced can be offered.

Abstract: An optical microcantilever has an optical waveguide for propagating light. The optical waveguide has a first side, a second side opposite to the first side, and a tip portion formed on the first side and at a free end of the optical waveguide. The tip portion has a microscopic aperture. A light blocking film is disposed on the first side of the optical waveguide. A reflecting film is disposed on the second side of the optical waveguide. A reflecting member forms part of the reflecting film and is disposed at the free end of the optical waveguide. The reflecting member has a generally planar surface for reflecting light propagated by the optical waveguide and for guiding the reflected light towards the microscopic aperture to generate near-field light at the microscopic aperture.

Abstract: A smart battery pack having an inexpensive, high-performance N-channel MOS transistor is provided. A level shift is conducted in communications between a remaining battery power detecting circuit of the smart battery pack and an electronic device such that the shifted level matches the signal level of the electronic device.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a mirror having high verticality and less surface roughness, comprising forming a mask material to the surface of a silicon substrate, applying anisotropic dry etching and anisotropic wet etching, thereby anisotropically dry etching the surface substantially parallel with the crystal face in perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and then forming a reflection surface by the anisotropic wet etching step.

Abstract: It is an optical information recording and reading apparatus for recording and/or reading information at a high density by using a near-field light-generating device as a near-field optical head. The end surface of the core of a flexible optical waveguide is formed in an intermediate position in the optical waveguide and in a portion fixed to the near-field optical head. Light for recording and reading information is spread within the clad. The spread light flux is reflected toward the near-field optical head by a reflective surface formed on the side of one end of the optical waveguide. The reflected light flux is collected by light-collecting structures and then is made to enter an optical minute aperture formed in the near-field optical head. Near-field light is created near the minute aperture. Light scattered by the surface of the recording medium is received. Thus, information on the recording medium can be recorded and read.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: An optical switch of high performance excellent in insertion loss, the reproducibility of return loss and the temperature property and easily mechanically driven is provided by forming the end faces of optical fibers to be small, the optical fibers are mounted in the optical switch used for switching and cutting off optical transmission lines in optical fiber communications. In the optical switch in the invention, the optical fiber is configured in which the outer diameter of an end part continued to a transmission part for transmitting light is smaller than the outer diameter of the transmission part and greater than the diameter of a core.

Abstract: There is disclosed an optical switch consisting of a support substrate, a movable raw optical fiber, a fixed raw optical fiber, a magnetic member for the movable raw optical fiber, and a leaf spring. The fibers are disposed in a V-shaped groove formed in the substrate. The magnetic member is actuated by an electromagnet disposed above the substrate. The leaf spring pushes the movable raw optical fiber into the V-shaped groove. The structure of the switch is relatively simple. Since the movable raw optical fiber is pushed using the leaf spring, the switch is less affected by the assembly accuracy than conventional. It is easy to make adjustments during assembly. Consequently, high-performance, low-cost, optical switch that can be mass-produced can be offered.

Abstract: An optical head for optical recording/reading apparatus, which records and reads information with high reliability, by making use of an optical interaction with a medium in a minute area, on a high density medium revolving at high speed. It has a structure, in which an optical waveguide mechanism applies a loading force to a slider 6 receiving a buoyant force, and a system for introducing a light to the slider 6 and a system for applying the loading force are integrated into an identical body. As the result, a stable posture regulation of the slider 6 and an increase of the light intensity of irradiation on the medium can be achieved, and it becomes possible to record and read information with high reliability. Furthermore, by disposing a minute structure in the vicinity of an edge in the surface facing the medium of the slider 6, so that the minute structure can come closer to the medium, further improvement in high density can be made.

Abstract: When constituting an optical device using an optical fiber having end face slanted with respect to a vertical plane of a core axis, the optical fiber is simply rotation-positioned such that a direction of the end face becomes constant, thereby inexpensively producing the optical device and realizing a miniaturization of the optical device. In the optical fiber having the end face formed at an angle slanted with respect to a plane perpendicular to a core, a plane structure or a concave structure is formed in the optical fiber itself at a predetermined position with respect to a slant direction of the end face, or a holding structure is provided in the optical fiber.

Abstract: It is an optical information recording and reading apparatus for recording and/or reading information at a high density by using a near-field light-generating device as a near-field optical head. The end surface of the core of a flexible optical waveguide is formed in an intermediate position in the optical waveguide and in a portion fixed to the near-field optical head. Light for recording and reading information is spread within the clad. The spread light flux is reflected toward the near-field optical head by a reflective surface formed on the side of one end of the optical waveguide. The reflected light flux is collected by light-collecting structures and then is made to enter an optical minute aperture formed in the near-field optical head. Near-field light is created near the minute aperture. Light scattered by the surface of the recording medium is received. Thus, information on the recording medium can be recorded and read.

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.