NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL HEAD AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF

摘要

A near-field optical head (3000) which can be produced using a silicon process and can permit the irradiation and detection of light through a fine aperture while being positioned stably close to media, and which comprises a fine aperture (3008) formed at the apex of a taper, a light introduction unit (3002) for allowing light to propagate in approximately parallel to media, and a light reflection layer (3001) for reflecting the light propagated through the light introduction unit (3002) in the direction of the fine aperture (3008), the head is further provided with a condensing function capable of irradiating light condensed on the fine aperture (3008).