Abstract: A first optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from that of the first optical material, and the base has a concavity, and the second optical material is filled in this concavity. A second optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from the first optical material, and the base comprises first and second faces facing each other, a first concavity is formed in the first face and a second concavity is formed in the second face, and the second optical material is filled in the first and second concavities.

Abstract: An optical pickup using an optical fiber module which includes optical fibers is provided, which can be small-sized and utilize a light beam from a light source at high efficiency. The optical pickup includes: an optical fiber module 20, in which an optical fiber 10 consists of: a first optical fiber 11 which is a field-distribution converting fiber and a second optical fiber 12 whose core has birefringence, both the optical fibers 11 and 12 are connected to each other at one end thereof, and the laser light beam L emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 is made to enter the other end of the first optical fiber 11; an optical head having at least an objective lens; an optical detector; wherein the optical fiber 10 is used as optical wiring to lead the laser light beam L emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 into the optical head.

Abstract: The influence of dust is reduced to prevent degradation of the recording and reproduction performances of an optical head apparatus and an information processing apparatus which use a flying slider. The optical head apparatus includes a slider (28) for being flown by an air flow produced by rotation of a disk-type recording medium. Parallel rail elements (28A, 28B) are formed along the direction of the air flow on an opposing face of the slider to the disk-type recording medium. Another rail element (29) is formed in the middle between the two rail elements, and beam light condensed by an objective lens passes through the rail element (29) formed from a transparent material. Even if a foreign particle flows into a gap between the slider and the disk-type recording medium, the optical influence of the foreign particle is less likely to be exerted.

Abstract: A first optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from that of the first optical material, and the base has a concavity, and the second optical material is filled in this concavity. A second optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from the first optical material, and the base comprises first and second faces facing each other, a first concavity is formed in the first face and a second concavity is formed in the second face, and the second optical material is filled in the first and second concavities.

Abstract: An optical pickup using an optical fiber module which includes optical fibers is provided, which can be small-sized and utilize a light beam from a light source at high efficiency. The optical pickup includes: an optical fiber module 20, in which an optical fiber 10 consists of: a first optical fiber 11 which is a field-distribution converting fiber and a second optical fiber 12 whose core has birefringence, both the optical fibers 11 and 12 are connected to each other at one end thereof, and the laser light beam L emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 is made to enter the other end of the first optical fiber 11; an optical head having at least an objective lens; an optical detector; wherein the optical fiber 10 is used as optical wiring to lead the laser light beam L emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 into the optical head.

Abstract: A polarizing beam splitter (21) is secured in a state wherein a bottom plate (2102) thereof contacts closely with an upper face of a substrate (16) and a light receiving element (23) without a gap left therebetween. A quarter-wave plate (17) is attached to the polarizing beam splitter in a state wherein a lower face (1702) thereof contacts closely with an upper face (2104) without a gap left therebetween such that the lengthwise directions and the widthwise directions of them coincide with each other. An objective lens plate (18) is attached in a state wherein a lower face (1806) thereof contacts closely with an upper face (1704) of the quarter-wave plate without a gap left therebetween.

Abstract: An optical pickup device and optical disc apparatus of the present invention include an optical element that prevents the incidence of light on unnecessary portions of the optical element so that stray light and noise are eliminated. The optical element include at least one substrate having a plurality of lens substrates that have embedded lenses made of a material with a higher refractive index than the at least one substrate. A shielding means limits the optical path so that incident light propagates only within a prescribed optical path formed on a light incidence-side or emission-side surface of one of the lens substrates. In addition, the shielding means is formed from an absorptive or reflective film placed in a region outside the prescribed optical path or through machining the region outside the prescribed optical path.

Abstract: An optical element and manufacturing method of the present invention prevent the incidence of light on unnecessary portions of the optical element so that stray light and noise are eliminated. The optical element is configured from at least one substrate having a plurality of lens substrates that have embedded lenses made of a material with a higher refractive index than the at least one substrate. A shielding means limits the optical path so that incident light propagates only within a prescribed optical path formed on a light incidence-side or emission-side surface of one of the lens substrates. In addition, the shielding means is formed from an absorptive or reflective film placed in a region outside the prescribed optical path or through machining the region outside the prescribed optical path.

Abstract: An optical pickup using an optical fiber module which includes optical fibers is provided, which can be small-sized and utilize a light beam from a light source at high efficiency. The optical pickup includes: an optical fiber module 20, in which an optical fiber 10 consists of: a first optical fiber 11 which is a field-distribution converting fiber and a second optical fiber 12 whose core has birefringence, both the optical fibers 11 and 12 are connected to each other at one end thereof, and the laser light beam L emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 is made to enter the other end of the first optical fiber 11; an optical head having at least an objective lens; an optical detector; wherein the optical fiber 10 is used as optical wiring to lead the laser light beam L emitted from the semiconductor laser 1 into the optical head.

Abstract: A compact and light flying head type magneto-optical head apparatus is provided. The magneto-optical head apparatus (1) of the present invention comprises a suspension (12) whose one end is fixed to a lower surface of an arm (11), a slider (13) fixed to a free end of the suspension (12), and a magnetic modulation coil (14) and an object lens (15) mounted on the slider (13). The slider (13) mounted with the magnetic modulation coil (14) and the object lens (15) floats due to a wind pressure caused by rotation of an MO disk (3). The magneto-optical head apparatus (1) is further provided with a collimeter lens (21) between a light source (71) and the object lens (15) in a hybrid optical apparatus (7) provided to the arm (11), and a position of the collimeter lens (21) can be adjusted vertically along an optical axis O-O by a collimeter actuator (23), so that optical conditions between the light source (71) and the object lens (15) are improved.

Abstract: A first optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from that of the first optical material, and the base has a concavity, and the second optical material is filled in this concavity. A second optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from the first optical material, and the base comprises first and second faces facing each other, a first concavity is formed in the first face and a second concavity is formed in the second face, and the second optical material is filled in the first and second concavities.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided which has a substrate and a signal recording layer provided on the substrate and in which an information signal is recorded in the form of microscopic pits. A light beam is focused on the signal recording layer and some change of the light beam carried by a return light from the signal recording layer is detected to read the information signal recorded on the signal recording layer. The optical recording medium has a diameter of 65 mm or less and a thickness of 0.4 to 0.7 mm. An information signal recording area extends outwardly from a radial position of 12.5 mm or less from the center of the medium. The ratio in area between the information signal recording area and non-signal recording area is 3.4 or more. The storage capacity of this medium is 2 gigabytes or more. The optical recording medium has formed at the center thereof a center hole around which an annular table-abutment convexing to one side of the medium is formed.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided which has a substrate and a signal recording layer provided on the substrate and in which an information signal is recorded in the form of microscopic pits. A light beam is focused on the signal recording layer and some change of the light beam carried by a return light from the signal recording layer is detected to read the information signal recorded on the signal recording layer. The optical recording medium has a diameter of 65 mm or less and a thickness of 0.4 to 0.7 mm. An information signal recording area extends outwardly from a radial position of 12.5 mm or less from the center of the medium. The ratio in area between the information signal recording area and non-signal recording area is 3.4 or more. The storage capacity of this medium is 2 gigabytes or more. The optical recording medium has formed at the center thereof a center hole around which an annular table-abutment convexing to one side of the medium is formed.

Abstract: A first optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from that of the first optical material, and the base has a concavity, and the second optical material is filled in this concavity. A second optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from the first optical material, and the base comprises first and second faces facing each other, a first concavity is formed in the first face and a second concavity is formed in the second face, and the second optical material is filled in the first and second concavities.

Abstract: A first optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from that of the first optical material, and the base has a concavity, and the second optical material is filled in this concavity. A second optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from the first optical material, and the base comprises first and second faces facing each other, a first concavity is formed in the first face and a second concavity is formed in the second face, and the second optical material is filled in the first and second concavities.

Abstract: An optical pickup using an optical fiber module which includes optical fibers is provided, which can be small-sized and utilize a light beam from a light source at high efficiency.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided which has a substrate and a signal recording layer provided on the substrate and in which an information signal is recorded in the form of microscopic pits. A light beam is focused on the signal recording layer and some change of the light beam carried by a return light from the signal recording layer is detected to read the information signal recorded on the signal recording layer. The optical recording medium has a diameter of 65 mm or less and a thickness of 0.4 to 0.7 mm. An information signal recording area extends outwardly from a radial position of 12.5 mm or less from the center of the medium. The ratio in area between the information signal recording area and non-signal recording area is 3.4 or more. The storage capacity of this medium is 2 gigabytes or more. The optical recording medium has formed at the center thereof a center hole around which an annular table-abutment convexing to one side of the medium is formed.

Abstract: An optical element and manufacturing method thereof are provided which, by preventing the incidence of light on unnecessary portions, can prevent the occurrence of stray light and noise. An optical element 21 is configured from one or more substrates comprising lens substrates 13, 14 in which are embedded lenses 11, 12 of material with higher refractive index than the substrates, and with shielding means 15 to limit the optical path such that incident light propagates only within a prescribed optical path formed on the light incidence-side or emission-side surface of one of the substrates 13, 14. Also, an optical element 21 is manufactured having shield means through the formation of an absorptive or reflective film 15 in the region outside the prescribed optical path or through machining of the region outside the prescribed optical path, performed on the light incidence-side or emission-side surface of a substrate 13, 14.

Abstract: An approximately rectangular parallelopiped shaped optical element 100 has a substrate (base) 101, a lens 102, and an axially symmetric convex portion 103D formed in an upper surface 100U of the substrate 101. The radius of curvature of the surface of this convex portion 103D is approximately constant. The substrate 101 has an axially symmetric concave portion 101B in a bottom surface 100B of the substrate 101. A radius of curvature of the surface of this concave portion 101B is approximately constant. The concave portion 101B is filled with an optical material having a refractive index different from the substrate 101, thereby forming the lens 102. A flat portion 103E is formed around the convex portion 103D. Axes of symmetry of the convex portion 103D and the concave portion 101B are positioned on an identical straight line and are vertical with respect to the flat portions 103E and 101C.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided which has a substrate and a signal recording layer provided on the substrate and in which an information signal is recorded in the form of microscopic pits. A light beam is focused on the signal recording layer and some change of the light beam carried by a return light from the signal recording layer is detected to read the information signal recorded on the signal recording layer. The optical recording medium has a diameter of 65 mm or less and thickness of 0.4 to 0.7 mm. An information signal recording area extends outwardly from a radial position of 12.5 mm or less from the center of the medium. The ratio in area between the information signal recording area and non-signal recording area is 3.4 or more. The storage capacity of this medium is 2 gigabytes or more. The optical recording medium has formed at the center thereof a center hole around which an annular table-abutment convexing to one side of the medium is formed.