A side-chain liquid crystal polymer includes two or more kinds of constitutional units represented by the following general formula (I) and a liquid crystal constitutional unit which contains a side chain including a liquid crystal moiety. The two or more kinds of constitutional units represented by the general formula (I) include a constitutional unit (a) represented by the general formula (I) and a constitutional unit (b) which is represented by the general formula (I) and is different from the constitutional unit (a) in carbon atom number of a linking group represented by L.sup.1 or L.sup.1. Each of the symbols in the general formula (I) is as described in the DESCRIPTION.

An optically anisotropic layer including a polymer and a compound having a mesogen skeleton, wherein the polymer has a property such that a film of the polymer that is formed by a coating method using a solution of the polymer satisfies nz(P)>nx(P)?ny(P), wherein nx(P) is a refractive index in a direction which, among in-plane directions of the film, gives a maximum refractive index, ny(P) is a refractive index in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction of nx(P) among the in-plane directions of the film, and nz(P) a refractive index in a thickness direction of the film, and the compound having a mesogen skeleton shows an in-plane retardation with reverse wavelength distribution under specific conditions.

An object of the invention is to provide a coloring composition with which a light absorption anisotropic film having excellent light resistance can be formed, a light absorption anisotropic film, a laminate, and an image display device. A coloring composition according to the invention contains a dichroic dye compound having an azo group; and an oxidant or a singlet oxygen quencher.

Provided is an optically anisotropic film, an optical film, and a display device, which have a high contrast and excellent light fastness. The optically anisotropic film includes a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic substance, in which the liquid crystal compound is vertically aligned, the dichroic substance forms an arrangement structure, and in a case where, in a cross section observed with a scanning transmission electron microscope, a length of a major axis of the arrangement structure is defined as L, and a length of a minor axis of the arrangement structure is defined as D, 16 or more arrangement structures satisfying L?30 nm are observed per 40 ?m.sup.2.

Self-aligned liquid crystal materials and structures are disclosed. The structures can exhibit piezoelectric and flexoelectric properties.

Embodiments relate to a quantum rod composition, a quantum rod film, a display device with a quantum rod film, and a method of forming a quantum rod film. The quantum rod film includes a plurality of quantum rods and a polymer with a dipole side chain. Responsive to an external electric field, the major axis of the quantum rods and an axis of the dipole side chain arranges in the same direction. The display device includes a plurality of pixel and common electrodes for generating an electric field, and a backlight unit positioned under a first substrate. Responsive to receiving light from the backlight unit, the quantum rod film emits light polarized in a direction parallel to the major axis of the quantum rods.

An optically anisotropic layer obtained by curing a liquid crystal composition containing a photopolymerizable liquid crystal compound, wherein a ratio of the photopolymerizable liquid crystal compound in the optically anisotropic layer is 25% by weight or less, and absorption values of the optically anisotropic layer satisfy specific relationship, the values being at local maximum absorption wavelengths for polarized light parallel to an orientation direction of the optically anisotropic layer and at local maximum absorption wavelengths for polarized light perpendicular to the orientation direction of the optically anisotropic layer within each of a first wavelength range of 230 nm or more and less than 300 nm and a second wavelength range of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less.

Provided is a liquid crystal composition capable of forming a light absorption anisotropic film with excellent light resistance, a dichroic material, a light absorption anisotropic film, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material having a structure represented by Formula (1). ##STR00001##

A polarization diffraction element comprising including a film including a liquid crystalline material having photosensitivity, the film having at least one hologram recorded therein, and thereby having a property as a fork-shaped polarization grating having an anisotropic structure in which an optical axis continuously rotates toward a direction of a grating vector.

An optical film includes a liquid crystal layer derived from a smectic phase, wherein an Nz factor of the liquid crystal layer is from 0.2 to 0.8. A display device that includes the optical film, and a method of producing an optical film is also provided.