Patent ID: 7406016

Claim:
An optical disk apparatus, comprising: a light source configured to output light; a head disposed so as to face a disk on which a signal is recordable, the head being configured to condense light output from the light source onto the disk as near-field light; a distance adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a distance between the head and the disk; first control means for causing the head to approach the disk and for controlling the head in such a way as to nearly stop at a position where a distance from the disk is a first distance at which the light is condensed on the disk by the head as the near-field light; detection means for detecting if the distance between the head and the disk is the first distance, wherein the detection means detects a total-reflection return-light quantity for detecting the distance between the head and the disk; and second control means for controlling the distance adjusting mechanism based on a detection signal outputted by the detection means so that the distance between the head and the disk is a second distance under a condition in which the light is condensed on the disk as the near-field light.