Patent ID: 6914873

Claim:
A recording apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a recording medium by utilizing near-field light, the recording apparatus comprising: an aperture element having a microscopic aperture for producing or scattering near-field light; light illuminating means for irradiating illumination light comprised of light having two different modulation frequencies onto the recording medium such that near-field light is created on a surface of the recording medium; first light detecting means for scattering the created near-field light by the microscopic aperture, detecting a first propagation light having one of the two modulation frequencies, and converting the detected first propagation light into a reproduced signal; second light detecting means for scattering the created near-field light by the microscopic aperture, detecting a second propagation light having the other of the two modulation frequencies, and converting the detected second propagation light into a control signal; and control means for controlling a distance between the aperture element and the recording medium based on the control signal.