Abstract: A substrate for forming a target substance detecting device includes a supporting member, an underlying layer disposed on a surface of the supporting member, and a metal pattern layer, disposed on a surface of the underlying layer, for being bound to a target substance trapping substance capable of trapping a target substance in a specimen solution at least containing water as a liquid medium to detect the target substance by utilizing plasmon resonance. The underlying layer has a refractive index nb satisfying the following relationship: 0.90 na?nb?1.05 na, wherein na represents a refractive index of water.

Abstract: In the fields of biosensing and the like, achievement of high sensitivity and high performance has been demanded in the concentration detection of target substances. In order to meet such demand, disclosed is an optical element utilizing the localized surface plasmon resonance, including: a dielectric substrate; a first group of metal microstructures in which a plurality of metal microstructures is supported on a dielectric substrate in an in-plane direction of the substrate; and a second group of metal microstructures in which a plurality of metal microstructures is disposed in the in-plane direction, and each of the metal microstructures is partially exposed to the outside; wherein the first group of metal microstructures and the second group of metal microstructures are laminated so as to be separated from each other by 100 nm or more.

Abstract: Provided is an optical apparatus having high durability, less optical absorption than a hole-type metal thin film filter, high transmittance and high reflectance, and variable optical characteristics. The apparatus includes: a dielectric substrate; a metal structure group including multiple metal structures two-dimensionally and discretely disposed at regular intervals; and a dielectric layer covering the metal structure group, in which: the metal structures have a first length equal to or shorter than a predetermined wavelength in a visible light region in one direction, and a second length equal to or shorter than the wavelength in a perpendicular direction; and the metal structures resonates with light entering the dielectric substrate or the dielectric layer, having a variable dielectric constant, to generate localized surface plasmon resonance on a surface of the metal structures to have a minimum transmittance or a maximum reflectance of the light having the wavelength.

Abstract: [Task] To provide a catalyst in which granules of the catalyst are improved in crash strength with no use of the caking agent, while increasing the effective area of the crystal surface part of the catalyst. [Solving Means] A catalyst powder-containing slurry obtained by milling a metallosilicate-containing raw material by a bead mill is dried by a spray drying method to obtain granules of a catalyst. The raw material may be one containing a metallosilicate having micropores of a size that is substantially 4.5 to 6.5 angstroms. It is better to mill the raw material by a bead mill such that the particle size of the metallosilicate becomes 1.0 ?m or less at a cumulative frequency of 50%. It is better that as a metal component at least one metal component selected from rhenium, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, and their compounds is supported on the metallosilicate. It is better to subject the slurry to the drying process after aging. It is better to add polyvinyl alcohol to the slurry.

Abstract: An optical filter includes a substrate, and a periodic structure in which a plurality of members formed of silicon are periodically arranged on a surface of the substrate. The filter selectively transmits light of a first wavelength included in light incident on the periodic structure in the direction of the substrate. The members are two-dimensionally arranged with a period of 400 nm to 500 nm. The dimension of the members in the direction parallel to the surface is of 120 nm to 160 nm. A local maximum value of the transmission spectrum of the first wavelength is within the range of 400 nm to 500 nm.

Abstract: An optical element of the present invention includes a conductive microstructure having a conductive property, and detects an optical spectrum signal varied by the binding of measured molecules on the surface of the conductive microstructure. The optical element has a distribution in the binding capacity of the measured molecules on the surface of the conductive microstructure in the direction of the electric displacement vector generated inside the conductive microstructure. As a result, it is possible to provide an optical element capable of measuring the density at high accuracy without depending on the binding position of the measured molecules.

Abstract: An input device is disclosed which includes: a casing; an input unit provided in the casing; an orientation detection unit configured to detect the orientation of the casing; and a command assigning unit configured to assign commands to inputs from the input unit, based on the results of detection by the orientation detection unit.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive membrane type sensor is provided with a ceramic base body and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element. The ceramic base body includes a thin diaphragm portion, a thick portion and a cavity formed by the portions. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is arranged on the ceramic base body and also includes a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body, and an upper electrode and a lower electrode sandwiching the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body. Further, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body contains an alkaline metal or an alkaline earth metal, with the upper electrode and the lower electrode containing gold or platinum. When there is a change in the atmosphere at a place where the sensor is used, the sensor copes with such change and at least prevents the continuation of a low-quality measurement.

Abstract: A chemical sensor element contains a resonator having a first reflector in which particles of a fine metal structure are arranged two-dimensionally and periodically is counterposed with interposition of a dielectric layer to a second reflector, wherein the resonance wavelength of a resonator in which the entire of the first reflector is replaced by a metal thin film having the same thickness as the metal fine structure is different from the surface plasmon resonance wavelength induced in the metal fine structure; and the mode of the surface plasmon resonance excited in the metal fine structure is coupled with the mode of the resonator in which the entire of the first reflector is replaced by the metal thin film.

Abstract: An optical filter that transmits light of the visible light region includes a dielectric substrate; a dielectric layer that is formed on a surface of the dielectric substrate; and a first metal structure group in which a plurality of first metal structures are arranged two-dimensionally in an isolated state in the in-plane direction of the dielectric substrate, that is provided between the dielectric substrate and the dielectric layer, comprising: the first metal structures having first and second lengths in first and second directions orthogonal to each other, which lengths are equal to or less than a first wavelength in the visible light region; and a transmittance of the first wavelength being reduced or a reflectance being increased by surface plasmons induced on a surface of the first metal structures by resonance between light incident on the dielectric substrate or the dielectric layer and the first metal structures.

Abstract: A multilayer film-coated substrate having the stress of the film relaxed by depositing a multilayer film comprising a metal oxide film and a silicon oxide film on a substrate at a high speed by a sputtering method using a conductive sputtering material, and a process for producing a multilayer film-coated substrate having such a low stress, are presented. A multilayer film-coated substrate comprising a substrate and at least a metal oxide film and a silicon oxide film laminated thereon repeatedly at least once, wherein at least one layer of said metal oxide film is a metal oxide film deposited by sputtering by using, as the target material, a metal oxide MOX which is deficient in oxygen than the stoichiometric composition, to have the oxygen deficiency resolved, and the stress of the multilayer film is from ?100 MPa to +100 MPa.

Abstract: A sensor device is formed from a metal film having a plurality of openings, a sensor material positioned within each of the openings, a light source that emits light having a first wavelength, and a light detector that detects light emitted from the light source and transmitted through or reflected from the openings. The plurality of openings are arranged periodically in a first direction in the metal film, and both a size of each of the plurality of openings and an interval thereof in the first direction are equal to or less than the wavelength of the light.

Abstract: A catalyst for aromatizing a lower hydrocarbon, in order to increase the amount of production of useful aromatic compounds, such as benzene and toluene, by improving the methane conversion rate, the benzene formation rate, the naphthalene formation rate and the BTX formation rate (or a total formation rate of benzene, toluene and xylene) is such that molybdenum and silver are loaded on a metallosilicate as a substrate. It is more preferable to obtain the aromatizing catalyst by loading molybdenum and silver after modifying a zeolite formed of the metallosilicate with a silane compound that has a molecular diameter larger than a pore diameter of the zeolite and that has an amino group, which selectively reacts at a Bronsted acid point of the zeolite, and a straight-chain hydrocarbon group.

Abstract: The present invention provides a speaker apparatus and reproducing apparatus with no limitation on their listening areas. The apparatus includes; the housing 2 substantially in the shape of a spheroid; the left speaker 5A, which is attached to the left end of the long side of the housing 2 such that the left speaker 5A faces outwardly of the housing 2; and the right speaker 5B, which is attached to the right end of the long side of the housing 2 such that the right speaker 5B faces outwardly of the housing 2. Therefore, the left speaker 5A and the right speaker 5B are approximately equivalent to a point sound source, and the sound from the left speaker 5A and the right speaker 5B smoothly radiates from the housing 2 in every direction. Thus, a listener can have good quality of sound from anywhere around the housing.

Abstract: A process execution apparatus and method is disclosed by which a process can be executed significantly simply and readily. The process execution apparatus includes a direction recognition section for recognizing a housing member shaking direction in which a housing member is shaken, and a process execution section for executing a process in response to the housing member shaking direction recognized by the direction recognition section. The direction recognition section recognizes the housing member shaking direction with respect to a direction of the gravity detected when the housing member is held by a person.

Abstract: In the fields of biosensing and the like, achievement of high sensitivity and high performance has been demanded in the concentration detection of target substances. In order to meet such demand, disclosed is an optical element utilizing the localized surface plasmon resonance, including: a dielectric substrate; a first group of metal microstructures in which a plurality of metal microstructures is supported on a dielectric substrate in an in-plane direction of the substrate; and a second group of metal microstructures in which a plurality of metal microstructures is disposed in the in-plane direction, and each of the metal microstructures is partially exposed to the outside; wherein the first group of metal microstructures and the second group of metal microstructures are laminated so as to be separated from each other by 100 nm or more.

Abstract: A near-field light generating method for irradiating light from a light source to a metal film having a fine opening that has a size of not more than a wavelength of the light emitted from the light source, and forming a fine light spot adjacent to the fine opening on a light outgoing side of the fine opening. The method includes providing the metal film with a rectangular fine opening whose length to width ratio is between 1.1 times and 2 times that of a standard square opening, obtained by increasing the length of the standard square opening, and irradiating the metal film with light from the light source to form the fine light spot, which has a length and a width that are substantially equal to those of the standard square opening, and where the fine light spot has a light intensity, which is not less than two times that of the standard square opening.

Abstract: A content reproducing apparatus includes a CPU. The CPU executes an authentication process with a memory card at a time of starting reproduction. The reproducing apparatus, when succeeding in the authentication process, can obtain from the memory card a decryption key of encrypted music data. Accordingly, by decrypting encrypted content data separately obtained by use of the decryption key, it is possible to reproduce the music data. In such the authentication process, certificate data is utilized in an order which starts from registered identification numbers and, every time failing in the authentication process, is renewed to a next identification number. Consequently, an identification number of certificate data which succeeds in the authentication process is registered and utilized in a next authentication process and the subsequent.

Abstract: A position sensor has an interface structure between negative dielectrics and a dielectric, and is provided with a configuration in which the plasmon intensity with respect to a microstructure in a surface including the interface structure or in the vicinity thereof is detected by the interface structure, and the positional relationship between the interface structure and the microstructure is thereby detected.

Abstract: In a chemical sensing apparatus utilizing a surface plasmon resonance in a small aperture formed in a metal thin film or on a surface of a metal fine particle, a capturing substance is disposed in the small aperture or on the surface of the metal fine particle for capturing a target substance. A marker substance, having a size comparable to that of the small aperture or the metal fine particle is combined with the target substance. As a result, a spectral change is increased in the transmitted light or the scattered light, induced by a surface plasmon resonance and resulting from the capture of the target substance.