Near-field light generating element, near-field light head, and information recording and reproducing device

摘要

A metal film is included which is placed between a core and a cladding, propagates a laser beam along an interface between the core and the cladding, and generates a near-field light from the laser beam. The metal film has a base portion placed on one side surface of the core along a propagation direction of the laser beam facing from one end side toward the other end side, and an extending portion extended from the other end side of the base portion to the other end side in the propagation direction rather than the core. The other end side of the extending portion is exposed to the outside, and is formed with a top portion projected toward the core side when viewed from the propagation direction.