The present provides a method of fabricating a PDLC thin film. The method of fabricating the PDLC of the present application forms the first solution by mixing the liquid crystal and the graphene nanoparticles; prepares the prepolymer by using the citric acid and the 1,8-octanediol, or the citric acid, the 1,8-octanediol and the 1,8-octanediol; forms the second solution by dissolving the prepolymer in the anhydrous ethanol; then obtains the mixture prepolymer of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal and the graphene nanoparticles by mixing and uniformly stirring the first solution and the second solution; and obtains the PDLC thin film after the mixture prepolymer is polymerized for several days. The present application indirectly changes dielectricity of the polymer matrix by combining the polymer dispersed liquid crystal and the graphene nanoparticles, so as to enhance the response speed of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal, to reduce the driving voltage of the polymer dispersed liquid crystal, to construct a new type of a combination of the liquid crystal and the polymer in the polymer dispersed liquid crystal, and the size and the thickness of the PDLC thin film fabricated by the method of fabricating the PDLC thin film of the present application are adjustable, and applications thereof are convenient.

Provided is an optically anisotropic layer having an excellent surface condition, with which an image display device having an excellent contrast can be manufactured; and an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each having the optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is obtained by immobilizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound exhibiting a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase and an additive in a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase, in which a molecular length A (Å) of the polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound, a layer interval B (Å) of the smectic phase of the optically anisotropic layer, and a molecular length C (Å) of the additive satisfy a relationship of Expression (1-1), 0.5×B≤C≤0.6×A . . . (1-1).

Provided is an optically anisotropic film exhibiting reverse wavelength dispersibility with excellent thickness-direction phase differences, a laminate, a circularly polarizing plate, and a display device. The optically anisotropic film of an embodiment of the present invention satisfies the following Requirements 1 to 4. Requirement 1: In a case of irradiation with P-polarized light and S-polarized light, which are linearly polarized light perpendicular to each other, from a direction inclined by 45° from a normal direction of a film surface of the optically anisotropic film, an absorption intensity ratio in a case of irradiation with S-polarized light to an absorption intensity in a case of irradiation with P-polarized light is 1.02 or more in an absorption intensity at a wavelength having a largest absorption in a wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm. Requirement 2: Re(550)<10 nm, Requirement 3: Re(800)<10 nm, Requirement 4: Rth(450)/Rth(550)<1,

Provided is a liquid crystal composition capable of forming an optically anisotropic layer, and method thereof, in which a variation in a twisted angle of liquid crystal compound in an in-plane direction is suppressed an optical film, and a circularly polarizing plate for an organic EL display. The liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal, optically active compound A which is a photosensitive optically active compound whose helical twisting power changes upon irradiation with light and has a molar absorption coefficient of 5,000 M.sup.−1.Math.cm.sup.−1 or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 365 nm, and an optically active compound B having a molar absorption coefficient with respect to light having a wavelength of 365 nm smaller than the molar absorption coefficient of the optically active compound A, in which a mass content ratio of the optically active compound A to the liquid crystal compound is less than 0.01.

Provided is a polarizer with excellent durability and an image display device including the polarizer. The polarizer includes a composition for forming a polarizer which contains a polymer liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material, in which the dichroic material includes a first dichroic material and a second dichroic material, an absolute value of a difference between a log P value of the first dichroic material and a log P value of the second dichroic material is 1.0 or less, and a stabilization energy indicating an energy loss in a case where one dichroic material of the first dichroic material and the second dichroic material is incorporated into a structure singly formed of the other dichroic material that is aligned therein is 30 kcal/mol or less.

A double layer liquid crystal device comprises a first and a second layer with orthogonal or crossed alignment of the liquid crystal phase of the two layers, in which the first and second layer have first and second alignment aids comprised of a polymerized or polymerizable molecular compound. The layers are aligned by UV photoalignment and vertical self-alignment by the aid of suitable additives.

Provided is an optically anisotropic film exhibiting reverse wavelength dispersibility with excellent thickness-direction phase differences, a laminate, a circularly polarizing plate, and a display device. The optically anisotropic film of an embodiment of the present invention satisfies the following Requirements 1 to 4. Requirement 1: In a case of irradiation with P-polarized light and S-polarized light, which are linearly polarized light perpendicular to each other, from a direction inclined by 45° from a normal direction of a film surface of the optically anisotropic film, an absorption intensity ratio in a case of irradiation with S-polarized light to an absorption intensity in a case of irradiation with P-polarized light is 1.02 or more in an absorption intensity at a wavelength having a largest absorption in a wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm. Requirement 2: Re(550)<10 nm, Requirement 3: Re(800)<10 nm. Requirement 4: Rth(450)/Rth(550)<1.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition capable of forming an optically anisotropic layer with suppressed alignment defects and an excellent alignment degree, an optically anisotropic layer, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention includes a rod-like liquid crystal compound, and an interface improver having a repeating unit B1 represented by Formula (N-1) and a repeating unit B2 having a fluorine atom. In Formula (N-1), R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and R.sup.B13 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, or a cyano group. Here, in a case where R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 represent a substituent, R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 may be linked to each other to form a ring.

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To provide a liquid crystal display device that has a high off-response speed and a good balance between drive voltage and transmittance, is stable over time, and also has a high voltage holding ratio. A liquid crystal display device in which a liquid crystal layer containing a polymer network (A) and a liquid crystal composition (B) is disposed between two substrates having an electrode on at least one side thereof and having transparent properties on at least one side thereof, and the loss factor (tan δ) (loss modulus/storage modulus) of the liquid crystal layer calculated from the storage modulus (Pa) and the loss modulus (Pa) in a sinusoidal vibration measured with a rheometer at 25° C. and at a measurement frequency of 1 Hz ranges from 0.1 to 1.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photo-alignable polymer which has excellent coating properties, is capable of suppressing film thickness unevenness, and has excellent upper layer coating properties and good liquid crystal alignment properties after being formed as a layer; a binder composition; a binder layer; an optical laminate; a method for producing an optical laminate; and an image display device. The photo-alignable polymer of an embodiment of the present invention is a photo-alignable polymer having a repeating unit A including a cleavage group capable of decomposing by an action of at least one selected from the group consisting of light, heat, an acid, and a base to generate a polar group, in which the repeating unit A has the cleavage group in a side chain, has a fluorine atom or a silicon atom on a side closer to a terminal than the cleavage group in the side chain, and the photo-alignable polymer satisfies Condition 1 or Condition 2 shown below. Condition 1: The photo-alignable polymer further has a repeating unit B including a photo-alignable group, in addition to the repeating unit A. Condition 2: The repeating unit A includes a photo-alignable group on a side closer to the main chain than the cleavage group in the side chain.