A device includes a number of grating stages having a liquid crystal layer disposed between at least two substrates, where at least one is coated with a photo-alignment layer and transparent electrodes. Each grating stage may be switchably responsive to a voltage, with grating periods of each grating stage selected such that, when the voltage is applied to a grating stage and a laser beam is passed therethrough, optical energy from the laser beam in plus and minus first orders is deflected toward sides of the grating stage and optical energy from a zero order of the laser beam is allowed to pass through the grating stage. A polarization state of the laser beam may be maintained from an input through an output. Each grating stage may include a thickness selected to achromatize the laser beam through the grating stages.

Nonreciprocal optical transmission devices and optical apparatuses including the nonreciprocal optical transmission devices are provided. A nonreciprocal optical transmission device includes an optical input portion, an optical output portion, and an intermediate connecting portion interposed between the optical input portion and the optical output portion, and comprising optical waveguides. A complex refractive index of any one or any combination of the optical waveguides changes between the optical input portion and the optical output portion, and a transmission direction of light through the nonreciprocal optical transmission device is controlled by a change in the complex refractive index.

Exemplary thin-film optical devices have first and second layer groups disposed as a layer stack on a substrate. The first layer group comprises a first PPN layer, a first LCP layer, and a first barrier layer all superposed. The second layer group is superposed relative to the first layer group, and includes a second PPN layer, a second LCP layer, and a second barrier layer all superposed. The first and second layer groups cooperate to polarize multiple wavelengths of an incident light flux in a broadband and/or wide-angle manner Each of the layer groups has an alignment layer, a respective liquid-crystal polymer layer, and a barrier layer.

An optical element comprising a stacked liquid crystal (LC) structure for rotating polarization (e.g., handedness) of an incident circularly polarized light over a broad wavelength and incident angle for head-mounted displays (HMD)s display application is proposed. The stacked LC structure has a dual cell structures, which includes at least a first LC cell and a second LC cell, and the stacked LC structure rotates the polarized light for a broad band of light (e.g., visible spectrum) over a given field a view. The performance of designed dual LC cells structures may be optimized for narrow band wavelength and a narrow incident angle for different application cases.

A liquid crystal display device having an outer shape of a display region formed other than a rectangle. A driver for supplying a video signal is disposed outside the display region. A selector with selector TFT is disposed between the display region and the driver. A video signal line is disposed between the driver and the selector, and a drain line is disposed between the selector and the display region. A scanning circuit for supplying a scanning signal to the scanning line is disposed outside the display region. The selector is disposed between the scanning line and the display region, and covered with ITO as the common electrode. The common bus wiring is disposed outside the selector.

Nonreciprocal optical transmission devices and optical apparatuses including the nonreciprocal optical transmission devices are provided. A nonreciprocal optical transmission device includes an optical input portion, an optical output portion, and an intermediate connecting portion interposed between the optical input portion and the optical output portion, and comprising optical waveguides. A complex refractive index of any one or any combination of the optical waveguides changes between the optical input portion and the optical output portion, and a transmission direction of light through the nonreciprocal optical transmission device is controlled by a change in the complex refractive index.

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal layer between first and second substrate. The first substrate includes a first and second sub-pixel areas. A first sub-pixel electrode is on the first substrate in the first sub-pixel area, and a first transistor is connected to a gate line, data line, and first sub-pixel electrode on the first substrate. A second sub-pixel electrode is on the first substrate in the second sub-pixel area, and a second transistor is connected to the gate line, the first transistor, and the second sub-pixel electrode. A first storage line is adjacent to one side of the first sub-pixel electrode. A second storage line is spaced from the first storage line and is adjacent to one side of the second sub-pixel electrode. A third transistor is connected to the gate line, second transistor, and second storage line.

An active matrix substrate includes: a substrate; TFTs supported on the substrate; and an inorganic insulating layer which covers the TFTs. Each TFT includes a gate electrode provided on the substrate, a gate insulating layer which covers the gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the gate insulating layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to the oxide semiconductor layer. The gate insulating layer includes a first silicon nitride layer and a first silicon oxide layer which is provided on the first silicon nitride layer. The inorganic insulating layer includes a second silicon oxide layer and a second silicon nitride layer which is provided on the second silicon oxide layer. The first silicon nitride layer, the first silicon oxide layer, the second silicon oxide layer, and the second silicon nitride layer have thicknesses which are respectively not less than 275 nm and not more than 400 nm, not less than 20 nm and not more than 80 nm, not less than 200 nm and not more than 300 nm, and not less than 100 nm and not more than 200 nm.

An object is to provide a liquid crystal display device which can recognize image display even when the liquid crystal display device is used in a dim environment. In one pixel, a pixel electrode including both of a region where incident light through a liquid crystal layer is reflected and a transmissive region is provided, and image display can be performed in both modes: the reflective mode where external light is used as an illumination light source; and the transmissive mode where the backlight is used as an illumination light source. When there is external light with insufficient brightness, that is, in a dim environment, the backlight emits weak light and an image is displayed in the reflective mode, whereby image display can be performed.

An achromatic phase modulator (100) adapted to modulate the phase of an incident beam of light (INCIDENT LIGHT) and to output the thus modulated light, the phase modulator (100) comprising a plurality of liquid crystal elements disposed in series on a light path of the incident light and a control unit (15) comprising a plurality of power sources (14) for applying drive electric signals to the liquid crystal elements, wherein the plurality of liquid crystal elements comprises at least a first and a second liquid crystal element groups (FIRST LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENT GROUP; SECOND LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENT GROUP), each group being composed of a pair of liquid crystal elements, the liquid crystal elements of the first and second group respectively being made of a first and a second liquid crystal material having a first and a second, different, refractive index wavelength dependence characteristic, the thicknesses (d1/2, d2/2) of the liquid crystal elements forming each group being equal.