Patent ID: 8755255

Claim:
A near-field light generating element which propagates light flux introduced to one end side thereof while focusing the light flux toward the other end side thereof, and which emits the light flux to the outside after near-filed light is generated from the light flux, the near-field light generating element comprising: a core that propagates the light flux toward the other end side; and a near-field light generating portion that generates the near-filed light from the light flux, the near-field light generating portion being placed along a propagation direction of the light flux facing from the one end side toward the other end side in the core to propagate the light flux along an interface between the near-field light generating portion and the core; wherein the core has a plurality of side surfaces extending along the propagation direction, the plurality of side surfaces including one side surface with the near-field light generating portion placed thereon and another side surface that is placed along a direction intersecting a plane direction of the one side surface on both sides of the one side surface when viewed from the propagation direction, and the near-field light generating portion has opposite end surfaces that are coplanar with the another side surface of the core.