The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 22, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 02, 2000
Junji Tominaga, Tsukuba, JP;
Takashi Nakano, Tsukuba, JP;
Nobufumi Atoda, Tsukuba, JP;
Motonobu Kourogi, Yokohama, JP;
Motoichi Ohtsu, Tokyo-to, JP;
Abstract
Disclosed is an improved optical near-field probe for optical near-field microscopy or optical near-field recording having an effective aperture diameter variable to comply with different applications. The improvement comprises attaching, to the aperture end opening of an optical fiber-based probe, a thin film made from a substance which is opaque but capable of being rendered transparent, such as antimony or photo-chromic compounds, by irradiation with light so that the center area only of the end opening becomes transparent and transmits the laser beam to serve as an effective aperture of a diameter variable depending on the intensity of the light.