JP2006138633A - Optical system and optical device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical device of a near field microscope or the like having a long WD. <P>SOLUTION: This device is equipped with a light source 303, an optical fiber probe 904 for photodetection or for illumination, an optical element (negative refractive index medium 301) formed by a medium showing a negative refractive index and arranged between an object and the optical fiber probe 904, and a photomultiplier 908 for converting light detected by the optical fiber probe 904 into an electric signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical system and an optical apparatus using the same.

Examples of optical systems such as an optical element, a microscope, a lithography optical system, and an optical disk optical system, and optical devices using them are as follows.
Introduction to near-field nanophotonics, P7 to P14, P74 to 75, P86 to P87, Optronics, April 25, 2000 JBPendry Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol85, 18 (2000) 3966-3969 M. Notomi Phy.Rev.B.Vol 62 (2000) 10696 US 2003/0227415 A1 US 2002/0175693 A1 FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a reflection mode of a conventional near-field microscope 901 (see Non-Patent Document 1). Light emitted from the light source 303 passes through a half prism 902 and a lens 903 which is an optical element made of a material having a positive refractive index, and enters an optical fiber probe 904. The optical fiber probe 904 is obtained by applying a metal coating 906 to a glass fiber 905 including a core 910 and a clad 909.

  Light entering the optical fiber probe 904 exits from the opening 907 and strikes an object 307 as an observation target. Light including the evanescent wave reflected by the object 307 passes through the opening 907, is reflected by the half prism 902, enters the photomultiplier 908 as a light receiving element, and is converted into an electric signal.

  An image signal is obtained from an electrical signal by scanning the optical fiber probe 904 mainly in the lateral direction.

  Here, the distance between the opening 907 and the object 307 is defined as WD (Working Distance). The size of the opening 907 is several nanometers to several tens of nanometers.

  However, in order to detect a weak evanescent wave, it is necessary to bring the opening 907 close to the object 307 to several tens of nanometers, and the distance WD is small, the type of the object is limited, and the object may be damaged. there were.

  In view of this point, the present invention, for example, provides an optical system having a long WD and an optical device such as a near-field microscope using the optical system.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention relates to an optical system, a light source, an optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction, an opening member or a probe for light detection or illumination, It comprises.

  The second aspect of the present invention relates to an optical device, and is a medium that is disposed between a light source, a light detection or illumination opening member or probe, an object, and the opening member or probe, and exhibits negative refraction. And a conversion element that converts the light detected by the aperture member or the probe into an electrical signal.

  A third aspect of the present invention relates to an optical system, and includes a light source, an optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction, and a minute object for light scattering.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical device, comprising: a light source; a light scattering minute object; an optical element disposed between the object and the minute object; And an optical system that collects the light scattered by the minute object, and a conversion element that converts the light collected by the optical system into an electrical signal.

  According to the present invention, for example, an optical system having a long WD and an optical apparatus such as a near-field microscope using the optical system can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a reflection mode of a near-field microscope 401 using a negative refractive index medium 301 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The operation is as follows.

  Light emitted from a light source 303 such as a mercury lamp, a laser, or a semiconductor laser passes through a half prism 902 and a lens 903 and enters an optical fiber probe 904. The optical fiber probe 904 is obtained by applying a metal coating 906 to a glass fiber 905.

  Light entering the optical fiber probe 904 exits from the opening 907 and passes through the negative refractive index medium 301 and strikes the object 307. The light including the evanescent wave reflected by the object 307 proceeds as shown by an arrow in FIG. 1 and forms an image at the image formation point FF. The light imaged at the imaging point FF passes through the opening 907, is reflected by the half prism 902, enters the photomultiplier 908, and is converted into an electrical signal.

  An image signal can be obtained from an electrical signal by scanning the negative refractive index medium 301 and the optical fiber probe 904 integrally or by fixing the negative refractive index medium 301 to the object 307 and scanning the optical fiber probe 904 alone. In this example, light passes through the negative refractive index medium 301 twice in the opposite direction.

  Here, the distance between the opening 907 and the object 307 is WD. The distance between the imaging point FF and the opening 907 is P.

  For example, a parallel plate-like negative refractive index medium 301 is disposed at a position separated by d from the imaging point FF. d represents the distance between the imaging point FF and the upper surface 310 of the negative refractive index medium 301. The value of d is, for example, 50 μm. Reference numeral 312 denotes an object side surface of the negative refractive index medium 301.

  Here, the negative refractive index medium 301 has a refractive index of −1 and a thickness of t (for example, 300 μm). The refractive index around the near-field microscope 401 is 1. WD is the distance between the negative refractive index medium 301 and the object 307. WD will be described in detail later.

  Since the refractive index of the negative refractive index medium 301 is −1, the light beam scattered by the object 307 is refracted differently from normal as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1 (see Non-Patent Document 2).

If the incident angle is i and the output angle is r, then r = −i Equation (0-3)
It is. If the refractive index of the negative refractive index medium 301 is n, according to the law of refraction,
sin r = (1 / n) sin i Expression (0-4)
It is.

According to Non-Patent Document 2, t = WD + d (1)
In this case, the negative refractive index medium 301 forms a complete image of the object 307 at the image formation point FF. The term “complete imaging” as used herein refers to imaging light as an electromagnetic field including radiated light and evanescent waves that are not affected by the diffraction limit. This is equivalent to the presence of an object in the FF.

The value of P is
0 ≦ P ≦ λ Formula (0)
The imaging point FF is very close to the opening 907. This is a desirable condition for effectively using the evanescent wave. Practically 0 ≦ P ≦ 10λ Formula (0-1)
But there is a case.

  Note that λ is the wavelength of light used, and in the case of visible light, λ is 0.4 μm to 0.7 μm.

  In this way, imaging including evanescent waves becomes possible. A high-resolution near-field microscope can be realized.

Depending on the application,
0 ≦ P ≦ 1000λ Formula (0-1-0)
But you can.

  If d = 50 μm, WD = 250 μm from equation (1), and a long WD is an unprecedented advantage. If P is 0 to several tens of nm, the imaging performance is as shown in FIG. Is almost equivalent.

  One embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that an optical element (such as 301) formed of a negative refractive index medium and an optical fiber probe 904 are arranged in combination. In this embodiment, a fiber probe 904 is arranged on the image side of the negative refractive index medium 301.

  Further, one of the features is that an object image formed by the negative refractive index medium 301 is detected by the fiber probe 904. In addition, the example of FIG. 1 is also characterized in that the illumination light and the observation light are transmitted through the negative refractive index medium 301 twice in the opposite directions.

  Equation (1) may not be strictly followed. This is because the image position by the negative refractive index medium 301 may deviate from the equation (1) due to a manufacturing error of the refractive index of the negative refractive index medium 301, an error in surface accuracy, and the like.

0.5 (WD + d) ≦ t ≦ 1.5 (WD + d) (2)
If it is.

Depending on the conditions, 0.1 (WD + d) ≦ t ≦ 3 (WD + d) (3)
May be acceptable.

  The concept described above is similarly applied to other embodiments of the present application. In other embodiments, the refractive index of the negative refractive index medium 301 is, for example, -1.

  FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and shows a transmission type near-field microscope 315 using a negative refractive index medium 301. In FIG. 2, only the vicinity of the illumination optical system 316 and the negative refractive index medium 301 is shown enlarged.

  The light from the light source 303 enters the prism 317 and enters the surface 318 of the prism 317 on the object 314 side at an angle for total reflection. Therefore, the object 314 as the observation target is illuminated with an evanescent wave. Scattered light from the object 314 is refracted by the negative refractive index medium 301 and completely imaged in the vicinity of the imaging point FF. Then, it is scanned and observed by the fiber probe 904.

  Expressions (0), (0-1), (0-1-0), (0-3), (0-4), ... (1), (2), (3) apply in this example as well. .

  FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, which is an atomic force microscope type near-field microscope 912 using a cantilever 911 as a minute object for light scattering. A microsphere may be used instead of the cantilever 911. The configuration of the illumination optical system 316 is the same as that in FIG.

  The sample image completely formed at the imaging point FF is scattered by the tip of the cantilever 911. The scattered light at this time enters the lens 306, enters a photomultiplier (not shown), and is converted into an electrical signal.

  An object image is obtained by scanning the cantilever 911 with the negative refractive index medium 301 integrally or separately with respect to the object 314. The advantage is that the working distance (WD) can be made longer than that of a conventional atomic force microscope type near-field microscope.

  FIG. 4 shows a near-field microscope 918 in which a plate 916 (opening member) having a pinhole 915 and a negative refractive index medium 301 are used in combination. The configuration of the illumination optical system 316 is the same as that in FIG.

  The pinhole 915 plays the same role as the opening 907 in the example of FIG. 2, and the plate 916 is mainly used with respect to the object 314 together with the negative refractive index medium 301 or separately from the negative refractive index medium 301. An image is obtained by scanning in the horizontal direction. The size of the pinhole 915 is several nm to several tens of nm.

  The light emitted from the object 314 forms a complete image at the image formation point FF, passes through the pinhole 915, enters the photomultiplier 908, and is converted into an electrical signal. Then, an image is obtained by image processing.

  FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention, which is an example of an optical disc apparatus such as a DVD using a negative refractive index medium 301.

  Light emitted from the semiconductor laser 321 as a light source passes through the half prism 902 and the lens 903 and enters the glass fiber 905.

  Light entering the glass fiber 905 enters the negative refractive index medium 301 through the opening 907, complete imaging is realized, and a minute light spot is formed on the optical disk 323, whereby writing to the optical disk 323 is performed. It is. In the case of reading, the optical disk 323 illuminated with the light from the semiconductor laser 321 reflects the light, picks up the light spot that is completely imaged at the image forming point FF with the fiber probe 904, glass fiber 905, lens 903, and half prism 902. After that, a signal is detected by the photodetector 324.

  The feature is that the pits of the optical disk 323 can be read and written even at a high density. In this example, at the time of reading, light passes through the negative refractive index medium 301 in the opposite direction twice in total. The writing structure shown in FIG. 5 can be used in a scanning lithography exposure apparatus by replacing the photodetector 324 with a silicon wafer coated with a photoresist.

  In addition, although it is about the shape of the negative refractive index medium 301, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the shape of the negative refractive index medium 301 may not be a parallel plate.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a negative refractive index medium lens 301-3 formed of a negative refractive index medium and having a convex surface on the object side may be used. In addition to the effect of extending WD, an effect of aberration correction and the like can be obtained. In FIG. 6, the negative refractive index medium lens 301-2 is a curved surface having a flat surface on one side and a concave surface on the other surface, but may have a shape such as a biconvex lens, a plano-convex lens, a biconcave lens, a meniscus convex lens, or a meniscus concave lens.

  The shape of the curved surface of the negative refractive index medium lens 301-3 may be a spherical surface, an aspherical surface, a free curved surface, a rotationally asymmetric surface, an extended curved surface, or the like.

  The refractive index of the negative refractive index medium lens 301-3 may not be -1.

  The following is a description common to the present invention. A specific material of the negative refractive index medium 301 is a photonic crystal. FIG. 7 shows a first specific example of the photonic crystal 340, and FIG. 8 shows a second specific example of the photonic crystal 340. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the photonic crystal 340 is a substance having a periodic structure of about λ to a fraction of λ, and is made by lithography or the like. The material is a dielectric such as a synthetic resin such as SiO2, acrylic or polycarbonate, GaAs or the like. Here, λ is the wavelength of light used. The values of the repetitive periods Sx, Sy, Sz in the X, Y, and Z directions in the figure have a value of λ to a fraction of 1λ. It is known that a negative refractive index can be realized in the vicinity of the band edge of a photonic crystal (see Non-Patent Document 3). The z direction in the figure is preferably the optical axis of the optical system.

  It is desirable that Sx, Sy, and Sz satisfy any of the following expressions.

λ / 10 <Sx <λ Formula (5-1)
λ / 10 <Sy <λ Formula (5-2)
λ / 10 <Sz <λ Formula (5-3)
Even if the values of Sx, Sy, and Sz exceed the upper limit or fall below the lower limit, they do not function as a photonic crystal.

Depending on the application,
λ / 30 <Sx <4λ Formula (5-4)
λ / 30 <Sy <4λ Formula (5-5)
λ / 30 <Sz <4λ Formula (5-6)
Any of the above should be satisfied.

  As for the negative refractive index medium, it is known that when the dielectric constant ε of the medium is −1 and the magnetic permeability μ of the medium is −1, the refractive index of the medium is −1.

  Further, the negative refractive index medium includes a material exhibiting negative refraction, a material exhibiting negative refraction approximately, such as a thin film of silver, gold, copper, etc., a material exhibiting a negative refractive index with respect to a specific polarization direction, and a dielectric constant ε May be a thin film or the like of a substance having an approximate -1.

Further, the negative refractive index medium may be referred to as a left handed material. In this application, all of these negative refractive index media, left-handed materials, substances that exhibit negative refraction, substances that exhibit a negative refractive index in a specific polarization direction, and thin films of substances having a dielectric constant ε of approximately −1 are included. This is called a medium exhibiting negative refraction. Substances exhibiting complete imaging are also included in the medium exhibiting negative refraction. In the case of a thin film of a substance having a dielectric constant ε of approximately −1,
−1.2 <ε <−0.8 Formula (5-7)
Should be satisfied. Depending on the application,
−1.6 <ε <−0.5 Formula (5-8)
But you can.

  As the wavelength of light to be used, in addition to a monochromatic light source, a continuous spectrum light source, a white light source, a sum of a plurality of monochromatic lights, a low coherence light source such as a superluminescent diode, or the like may be used.

  The wavelength is preferably 0.1 μm to 3 μm because it can be transmitted in the air and the light source is easily available. Visible wavelengths are easier to use.

  The WD will be described in detail below.

The value of WD is 100 nm ≦ WD ≦ 20 mm (7)
It is good to do.

  If the lower limit of Expression (7) is not reached, the working distance becomes too small and is difficult to handle. If the upper limit of Expression (7) is exceeded, the negative refractive index medium becomes too large, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost and processing. Another problem is that the size of the optical device becomes too large.

Depending on the product, 5 nm ≦ WD ≦ 200 mm (8)
But it is acceptable.

WD> d (Formula (8-1))
It is desirable to satisfy

  This is because, if the value of t is the same, WD can be increased as the value of d is smaller according to the equation (1).

WD> 0.1d Formula (8-2)
But some products are acceptable.

In addition, the value of d is used to improve the resolution.
d ≧ 0 Formula (8-2-1)
It is desirable to satisfy
d <0 Formula (8-2-2)
But you can.

  Further, it is desirable that the value of WD can be varied by devising the mechanical structure of the optical device. One example is a microscope stage.

  Further, the negative refractive index medium 301 and the fiber probe 904 may be in close contact or bonded.

  Alternatively, the negative refractive index medium 301 may be formed on a transparent flat plate, and the transparent flat plate may be arranged to form a part of a lens used for image formation.

  If the lens or flat plate used as the substrate is made of a material having a positive refractive index, it can be manufactured at low cost.

  As described above, even when the negative refractive index medium 301 is provided on the substrate, the values of WD and d are measured from the surface of the negative refractive index medium 301.

  FIG. 9 shows an example of a near-field microscope 401 using a negative refractive index medium 301 formed on a flat plate 350 made of a material having a positive refractive index as a substrate. The optical system having such a configuration can also be applied to the examples of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Also, regarding the condition of complete imaging, the deviation from the equation (1),
WD + dt = Δ Expression (8-3)
In this case, the larger the value of | Δ |, the worse the image formation state.

| Δ | <λ Formula (8-4)
If so, the image formation state can be reduced to some extent.

Practically, depending on the product, | Δ | <10λ (8-5)
Up to acceptable.

  Depending on conditions, there may be a case where λ ≦ | Δ | <20λ (8-5-1).

  Further, when the refractive index of the negative refractive index medium 301 is n, n <0. In most of the embodiments described so far, n = -1. When the negative refractive index medium 301 is a parallel plate, ideally n = -1. However, in reality, there are cases where n = −1 cannot be achieved due to manufacturing errors of the negative refractive index medium 301, deviations in the wavelength used, and the like, and it is desirable to satisfy the following equation at this time.

−1.1 <n <−0.9 Formula (9)
If the value of n deviates from the above, complete image formation is not realized and the resolution is lowered. Depending on the product: -1.5 <n <-0.5 Formula (10)
If it is good.

-3 <n <-0.2 (Equation (11))
But sometimes it ’s okay.

  If the refractive index of the flat plate 350 is N, the smaller the N, the better the resolution.

N ≦ 2 Formula (12)
If so, it can be used for a wide range of purposes.

N ≦ 1.6 Formula (13)
And that's even better.

  According to the above-described embodiment, an optical system having a long WD and an optical device such as a near-field microscope using the optical system can be provided.

  As can be said in common with the embodiments of the present application, the periphery of the negative refractive index medium 301 is considered to be air or vacuum.

  Therefore, the refractive index n of the negative refractive index substance 301 represents the refractive index with respect to air when the surrounding is air, and represents the refractive index with respect to vacuum when the surrounding is vacuum. When the surroundings are evacuated, there is no reduction in resolution due to air fluctuations and better imaging performance can be obtained. If the surroundings are air, it is easy to make an optical device and it is easy to handle. Of the optical device, only the optical path around the negative refractive index medium 301 may be evacuated, and the rest of the optical device may be placed in the air. An optical device that is easy to handle and has good imaging performance can be obtained.

  The refractive index of the negative refractive index material 301 with respect to vacuum is nV, and the refractive index of air with respect to vacuum is nA.

  At 1 atmosphere and a wavelength of 500 nm (nanometer), nA = 1.0002818.

The requirements for ideal perfect imaging when the environment around the optical device is air
nV = -nA Equation (15).

The requirements for ideal perfect imaging when the surroundings of the optical device are vacuum are
nV = -1.0 Equation (16).

  Finally, definitions of technical terms used in this embodiment will be described.

  An optical device is a device including an optical system or an optical element. The optical device alone may not function. That is, it may be a part of the apparatus.

  The optical device includes an imaging device, an observation device, a display device, an illumination device, a signal processing device, an optical information processing device, a projection device, a projection exposure device, and the like.

  Examples of imaging devices include film cameras, digital cameras, PDA digital cameras, robot eyes, interchangeable lens digital single lens reflex cameras, television cameras, video recording devices, electronic video recording devices, camcorders, VTR cameras, and mobile phones. Digital camera, mobile phone TV camera, electronic endoscope, capsule endoscope, in-vehicle camera, satellite camera, planetary explorer camera, space probe camera, surveillance camera, various sensor eyes, recording There are digital cameras, artificial vision, laser scanning microscopes, projection exposure apparatuses, steppers, aligners, optical probe microscopes, and the like. Digital camera, card-type digital camera, TV camera, VTR camera, video recording camera, mobile phone digital camera, mobile phone TV camera, in-vehicle camera, artificial satellite camera, planetary probe camera, space probe camera, recording device These digital cameras are examples of electronic imaging devices.

  Examples of the observation apparatus include a microscope, a telescope, glasses, binoculars, a loupe, a fiberscope, a viewfinder, a viewfinder, a contact lens, an intraocular lens, and artificial vision.

  Examples of the display device include a liquid crystal display, a viewfinder, a game machine (Sony PlayStation), a video projector, a liquid crystal projector, a head mounted display (HMD), a PDA (personal digital assistant), Mobile phones, artificial vision, etc.

  Video projectors, liquid crystal projectors, etc. are also projection devices.

  Examples of the illumination device include a camera strobe, an automobile headlight, an endoscope light source, and a microscope light source.

  Examples of signal processing devices include mobile phones, personal computers, game machines, optical disk reading / writing devices, computing devices for optical computers, optical interconnection devices, optical information processing devices, optical LSIs, optical computers, PDAs, etc. .

  An information transmission device is a device that can input and transmit any information such as a remote control such as a mobile phone, a fixed phone, a game machine, a TV, a radio cassette, a stereo, a personal computer, a keyboard of a personal computer, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. Point to.

  It shall also include a television monitor with an imaging device, a personal computer monitor, and a display.

  The information transmission device is included in the signal processing device.

  The imaging device refers to, for example, a CCD, an imaging tube, a solid-state imaging device, a photographic film, and the like. The plane parallel plate is included in one of the prisms. The change of the observer includes the change of the diopter. The change in the subject includes a change in the object distance as the subject, movement of the object, movement of the object, vibration, blurring of the object, and the like. Imaging elements, wafers, optical disks, silver salt films, etc. are examples of imaging members.

  The definition of the extended surface is as follows.

  In addition to spherical surfaces, flat surfaces, and rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces, spherical surfaces that are decentered with respect to the optical axis, flat surfaces, rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces, aspheric surfaces that have a symmetric surface, aspheric surfaces that have only one symmetric surface, and non-symmetrical surfaces Any shape such as a spherical surface, a free-form surface, a non-differentiable point, or a surface having a line may be used. It may be a reflective surface or a refractive surface as long as it can have some influence on light.

  In the present invention, these are collectively referred to as an extended curved surface.

  The imaging optical system refers to an imaging optical system, an observation optical system, a projection optical system, a projection exposure optical system, a display optical system, a signal processing optical system, and the like.

  An example of the imaging optical system is an imaging lens for a digital camera.

  Examples of the observation optical system include a microscope optical system and a telescope optical system.

  Examples of the projection optical system include a video projector optical system, a lithography optical system, an optical disk read / write optical system, and an optical pickup optical system.

  As an example of the projection exposure optical system, there is an optical system for lithography.

  An example of the display optical system is a viewfinder optical system of a video camera.

  Examples of the signal processing optical system include an optical disk read / write optical system and an optical pickup optical system.

  An optical element refers to a lens, an aspheric lens, a mirror, a mirror, a prism, a free-form surface prism, a diffractive optical element (DOE), a heterogeneous lens, and the like. A parallel plate is also an optical element.

(Appendix)
1. A light source;
An optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
An aperture member or probe for light detection or illumination; and
An optical system comprising:

1-1. A light source;
A probe for light detection or illumination;
An optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction disposed between an object and the aperture member or the probe;
An optical system comprising:

2. A light source;
An aperture member or probe for light detection or illumination; and
An optical element disposed between an object and the aperture member or the probe and formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
A conversion element that converts light detected by the aperture member or probe into an electrical signal;
An optical device comprising:

3. A light source;
An optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
A small object for light scattering,
An optical system comprising:

3-1. A light source;
A small object for light scattering,
An optical element disposed between an object and the minute object and formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
An optical system comprising:

4). A light source;
A small object for light scattering,
An optical element disposed between an object and the minute object and formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
An optical system for collecting the light scattered by the minute object;
A conversion element that converts light collected by the optical system into an electrical signal;
An optical device comprising:

5). 5. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening member, the probe, or the minute object is scanned with respect to the object.

5-1. 5. The optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aperture member, the probe, or the minute object is scanned with the optical element formed of the medium exhibiting negative refraction with respect to the object.

6). The optical device according to any one of 1 to 5-1, wherein the optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction is a parallel plate.

7). An optical element having an optical element formed of a material having a positive refractive index and formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction is formed on the substrate using the optical element formed of a material having a positive refractive index as a substrate. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the optical device is formed.

8). An optical element having a transparent flat plate formed of a material having a positive refractive index and formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction is formed on the substrate using the transparent flat plate formed of a material having a positive refractive index as a substrate. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the optical device is formed.

9. 7. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the optical device satisfies Formula (0-1-0) of the embodiment.

10. The optical apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the optical apparatus satisfies Formula (3) of the embodiment.

11. The optical apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the expression (8) of the embodiment is satisfied.

12 The optical apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the expression (8-2) of the embodiment is satisfied.

13. The optical apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the expression (8-2-1) of the embodiment is satisfied.

14 The optical apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the expression (8-5) of the embodiment is satisfied.

15. The optical apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein a refractive index of the medium exhibiting negative refraction satisfies the formula (11).

16. The optical apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein light passes through the medium exhibiting negative refraction a plurality of times.

17. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 16, further comprising a light receiving element.

18. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 17, wherein a distance between the negative refraction medium and the object is variable.

19. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 17, wherein the light to be used is monochromatic light.

20. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 17, wherein a wavelength of light to be used is 0.1 μm or more and 3 μm or less.

21. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 17, wherein the medium exhibiting negative refraction is a photonic crystal.

21-1. The optical apparatus according to 21, wherein any one of formulas (5-4), (5-5), and (5-6) is satisfied.

22. The optical device according to any one of 1 to 15, wherein the medium exhibiting negative refraction is a negative refractive index medium.

A near-field microscope comprising the optical system according to any one of 23.1, 1-1, 3, 3-1.

23-1. An optical disc apparatus comprising the optical system according to any one of 2 and 4, wherein the optical apparatus is a near-field microscope.

24. An optical disc apparatus comprising the optical system according to any one of 24.1 and 1-1.

24-1. 3. The optical device according to 2, wherein the optical device is an optical disk device.

An exposure apparatus comprising the optical system according to any one of 25.1 and 1-1.

25-1. 3. The optical apparatus according to 2, wherein the optical apparatus is an exposure apparatus.

26. Furthermore, it has an optical element formed with the substance which has a positive refractive index, The optical apparatus as described in any one of 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the near field microscope 401 using the negative refractive index medium 301 based on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a transmission near-field microscope 315 using a negative refractive index medium 301 according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is another embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing an atomic force microscope type near-field microscope 912 using a cantilever 911 as a light scattering minute object. It is a figure which shows the near field microscope 318 which used together the board 916 which has the pinhole 915, and the negative refractive index medium 301. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an optical disc apparatus such as a DVD using a negative refractive index medium 301 according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows embodiment using the negative refractive index medium lens 301-3 which has a convex surface on the object side. It is a figure which shows the 1st specific example of the photonic crystal 340 as a specific substance of the negative refractive index medium 301. FIG. It is a figure which shows the 2nd specific example of the photonic crystal 340. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the near-field microscope 401 using the negative refractive index medium 301 formed on it using the flat plate 350 made from the material which has a positive refractive index as a board | substrate. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional near field microscope 901. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

301 Negative Refractive Index Material 303 Light Source 307 Object 401 Near Field Microscope 902 Half Prism 903 Lens 904 Optical Fiber Probe 907 Opening 908 Photomultiplier FF Imaging Point

Claims (4)

A light source;
An optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
An aperture member or probe for light detection or illumination; and
An optical system comprising: A light source;
An aperture member or probe for light detection or illumination; and
An optical element disposed between an object and the aperture member or the probe and formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
A conversion element that converts light detected by the aperture member or probe into an electrical signal;
An optical device comprising: A light source;
An optical element formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
A small object for light scattering,
An optical system comprising: A light source;
A small object for light scattering,
An optical element disposed between an object and the minute object and formed of a medium exhibiting negative refraction;
An optical system for collecting the light scattered by the minute object;
A conversion element that converts light collected by the optical system into an electrical signal;
An optical device comprising:

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