Optical head device and near-field light emitting device

• US 6,236,514 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2000
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US09/625,318
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 359/664, 359/809, 359/819, 359/813, 359/814, 359/823, 359/824, 369/43, 369/112
• US Class Current: 359/664
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1362 Mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1384 Fibre optics
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/1387 using the near-field effect

Abstract

An optical head device which has an optical element and an optical fiber. The optical element is made of a material with a high refractive index and has a planar first reflective surface and a spheroidal second reflective surface. A hole which serves as a light transmitting portion is made in the center B of the first reflective surface, and a concave portion which transmits a divergent bundle of rays emitted from a radiating point A of the optical fiber is made in the center of the second reflective surface. The points A and B are optically in conjugation with each other. The divergent bundle of rays emitted from the radiating point A passes through the concave portion and is incident to the optical element. Then, the light is reflected by the reflective surfaces, thereby being converged on the hole, and is emergent from the optical element through the hole.

Claims

1. An optical head device comprising:

an optical element comprising;

a planar first reflective surface which has a light transmitting portion in its center;

a spheroidal second reflective surface which converges light on the light transmitting portion; and

a concave portion which is located in a center of the second reflective surface and which transmits light; and

a light source which emits a divergent bundle of rays from a point which is a center of the curvature of the concave portion.

2. The optical head device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is made of a material with a high refractive index.

3. The optical head device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element has a refractive index not less than 1.6.

4. The optical head device according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portion has an aperture diameter which is not more than wavelength of light.

5. The optical head device according to claim 1, wherein the spheroidal second reflective surface has focuses on a center point of the first reflective surface and on a center point of the curvature of the concave portion.

6. The optical head device according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is a sphere which has a center on a radiating point of the light source.

7. The optical head device according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises:

an optical fiber; and

a mirror which reflects light emitted from the optical fiber to make the light incident to the concave portion.

8. A near-field light emitting device comprising:

a light source which emits a divergent bundle of rays; and

an optical element to which the divergent bundle of rays emitted from the light source is incident and from which near-field light effuses, said optical element comprising;

a planar first reflective surface which has, in its center, a light transmitting portion which has an aperture diameter not more than wavelength of light;

a spheroidal second reflective surface which converges light on the light transmitting portion; and

a concave portion which is located in a center of the second reflective surface and which transmits light.

9. The near-field light emitting device according to claim 8, wherein the optical element is made of a material with a high refractive index.

10. The near-field light emitting device according to claim 8, wherein the optical element has a refractive index not less than 1.6.

11. The near-field light emitting device according to claim 8, wherein the spheroidal second reflective surface has focuses on a center point of the first reflective surface and on a center point of the curvature of the concave portion.

12. The near-field light emitting device according to claim 8, wherein the concave portion is a sphere which has a center on a radiating point of the light source.

13. The near-field light emitting device according to claim 8, wherein the light source comprises:

an optical fiber; and

a mirror which reflects light emitted from the optical fiber to make the light incident to the concave portion.