Optical head and drive device for optical recording medium

A driving apparatus for an optical recording medium, for driving the optical recording medium to perform either of the recording of information onto the optical recording medium and the reproduction of information from the optical recording medium, comprising

• an optical head including a holder member for retaining an optical means having the function of an objective lens focusing a laser beam to irradiate the optical recording medium and an optical means having the function of a solid immersion lens disposed between the objective lens and the optical recording medium while keeping a fixed distance between the objective lens and the solid immersion lens as well as a moving mechanism for moving the holder member in a direction along an optical axis of the laser beam, in which an electrically conductive material is used on a surface of the optical head facing to the optical recording medium, and
• signal processing means that produces, according to the electrostatic capacity formed by the electrically conductive material and the optical recording medium, a control signal for controlling the distance between the solid immersion lens and the optical recording medium as measured in the optical-axial direction, wherein
• the holder member is moved by the moving mechanism according to the control signal.