Abstract: A technology that allows improvement in the performance of an optical element a representative example of which is a polarizing element is provided. In a split wire element according to an embodiment of the invention, each of a plurality of split wires (SPW) has gaps formed in a y direction at a period ?, and the period ? is greater than or equal to a Rayleigh wavelength (?/n). According to the thus configured split wire element of the embodiment of the invention, optical performance can be improved as compared with a wire-grid element formed of straight wires having no periodic structure in the y direction.

Abstract: In order to improve a characteristic of an optical element, an optical element (polarizing filter) including a substrate 1S having a wire-grid region 1A and a peripheral region 2A positioned on an outer periphery thereof is made to have the following configuration. A wire-grid in which a plurality of line-shaped wires P10 made of Al and extending in a y direction are arranged at spaces S in an x direction is provided in the wire-grid region 1A of the substrate 1S, and a pattern (repetitive pattern) in which a plurality of protruding portions P20 made of Al are arranged is provided in the peripheral region 2A. This pattern is, for example, a checkerboard pattern. According to the above-mentioned configuration, the plurality of wires P10 can be arranged so that their respective ends are spaced apart from an end of the substrate 1S, so that the wires P10 can be prevented from being deformed and nicked.

Abstract: Provided are an optical element and an optical device using the optical element to which a manufacturing process for manufacturing a wire-grid structure can be basically applied, and besides, in which a higher polarization contrast ratio than that of a wire-grid element can be obtained. A wobbled wire element in an embodiment has a feature that a periodic structure having a period equal to or larger than a wavelength of an incident light wave is formed in a y direction. In this manner, in a wobbled wire element in a first embodiment, a polarization contrast ratio can be significantly improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides a small and inexpensive optical element that integrates a reflecting mirror and a wave plate function. A reflecting wave plate is configured by arranging a periodic metal comb-like structure whose pitch is equal to or below a wavelength and a mirror structure with a distance equal to or below a coherence length.

Abstract: A technology that allows improvement in the performance of an optical element a representative example of which is a polarizing element is provided. In a split wire element according to an embodiment of the invention, each of a plurality of split wires (SPW) has gaps formed in a y direction at a period ?, and the period ? is greater than or equal to a Rayleigh wavelength (?/n). According to the thus configured split wire element of the embodiment of the invention, optical performance can be improved as compared with a wire-grid element formed of straight wires having no periodic structure in the y direction.

Abstract: For decreasing a recording current and suppressing a cross erase simultaneously, a three-dimensional phase-change memory for attaining higher sensitivity and higher reliability by the provision of a chalcogenide type interface layer is provided, in which an electric resistivity, a thermal conductivity, and a melting point of the material of the interface layer are selected appropriately, thereby improving the current concentration to the phase-change material and thermal and material insulation property with Si channel upon writing.

Abstract: An intermediate layer including at least one of elements constituting a phase change material and silicon is arranged between a recording layer composed of the phase change material and an n+ polysilicon film to reduce contact resistance between the recording layer and the n+ polysilicon film, thereby simplifying the structure of a phase change memory and reducing the cost thereof. If the phase change material contains Ge, Sb, and Te, for example, the intermediate layer includes at least one of Si—Sb, Si—Te, and Si—Ge.

Abstract: In a first face and a second face of an irregular configuration portion configuring a wire grid structure, surface roughness of the first face farther from an input side of a light (electromagnetic wave) is made rougher than the surface roughness of the second face closer to the input side of the light (electromagnetic wave). With this configuration, according to this embodiment, since a reflection polarization element can be realized, there can be provided an optical device that is excellent in tolerance to heat and light, and contributes to a reduction in the costs.

Abstract: An intermediate layer including at least one of elements constituting a phase change material and silicon is arranged between a recording layer composed of the phase change material and an n+ polysilicon film to reduce contact resistance between the recording layer and the n+ polysilicon film, thereby simplifying the structure of a phase change memory and reducing the cost thereof. If the phase change material contains Ge, Sb, and Te, for example, the intermediate layer includes at least one of Si—Sb, Si—Te, and Si—Ge.

Abstract: In forming a space layer of a multi-formation-layer recording medium, there are provided a medium having a high precision in a thickness of the space layer and its manufacturing process. In the multi-formation-layer recording medium wherein at least two pairs of an information recording layer and a translucency spacer are layered on a substrate having physical patterns composed of an optical spot groove and/or pits on the surface, an average thickness of the translucency spacers in an information zone is 15 ?m or less, and a difference in spacer thickness between a minimum value and a maximum value is 2 ?m or less.

Abstract: An optical disc using super-resolution effects that achieves higher-density recording exceeding the optical resolution suffers from the signal-quality degradation caused by the normal resolution component included in the reproduction signal. To address this problem, a data reproduction method is provided. In the method, characteristic error patterns are identified and parity check codes in conformity with run-length limited coding are used to carry out efficient and reliable error correction. Error patterns caused by the normal resolution crosstalk are localized in the leading edges of a mark following a long space and in the trailing edges of a long mark. Whether an error exists in the data is determined by use of the parity check codes. When an error occurs, a pattern in which an error is most likely to occur is selected from the above-mentioned patterns by taking account of the edge shift direction, and then the error therein is corrected.

Abstract: For decreasing a recording current and suppressing a cross erase simultaneously, a three-dimensional phase-change memory for attaining higher sensitivity and higher reliability by the provision of a chalcogenide type interface layer is provided, in which an electric resistivity, a thermal conductivity, and a melting point of the material of the interface layer are selected appropriately, thereby improving the current concentration to the phase-change material and thermal and material insulation property with Si channel upon writing.

Abstract: A super-resolution material is formed in only a data pit, in a low temperature state of the super-resolution material, reflectivity of each of a pit portion and a space portion and an optical phase difference therebetween are set to be sufficiently small, in a high temperature state, and at least the optical phase difference between the pit and the space is set to be larger than the aforementioned value in an absolute value. Accordingly, by conducting irradiation with an appropriate read power by which substantially only one data track width can be heated to a high temperature state, a good push-pull signal can be obtained even with a track pitch being less than a diffraction limit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a small and inexpensive optical element that integrates a reflecting mirror and a wave plate function. A reflecting wave plate is configured by arranging a periodic metal comb-like structure whose pitch is equal to or below a wavelength and a mirror structure with a distance equal to or below a coherence length.

Abstract: Recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam that is power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. The information is recorded on the recording medium in the form of length and interval of a mark portion. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion.

Abstract: Recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam that is power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. The information is recorded on the recording medium in the form of length and interval of a mark portion. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion.

Abstract: Recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam that is power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. The information is recorded on the recording medium in the form of length and interval of a mark portion. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion.

Abstract: An optical disk medium in which high density recording/reproducing is possible, an information recording method and an information reproducing method using it are provided. A pit composed of a phase change material and a recording film different from it are provided on an optical disk. The phase change pit has a pattern of a single frequency. A mark having a size on the same level as the phase change pit can be formed by melting a single phase change pit while recording and controlling the optical absorbance and the temperature of the recording film at the region. A single phase change pit is molten while reproducing. Since the optical characteristics of the molten region are different from the optical characteristics of other regions, only data at the molten region can be reproduced by a super-resolution effect.

Abstract: Recording information is disclosed in which an information recording medium is irradiated with a recording energy beam that is power-modulated into at least a record power level and a record-ready power level lower than the record power level. The information is recorded on the recording medium in the form of length and interval of a mark portion. When forming a mark portion of a predetermined length, the radiation energy of the energy beam is increased as compared with when forming a mark portion of a different length before or after the first pulse of an energy beam pulse train including at least a pulse for forming the mark portion.

Abstract: An information recording medium capable of displaying multiple labels and a storing case for the information recording medium are provided. The multiple labels are displayed by changing the labels to be displayed while selectively selecting information layers in a multi information recording medium. The medium has a function to receive either voltage or current, and the information layers selectively receive either voltage or current for changing the labels.