An optical device includes a first layer including a first birefringent material having a negative birefringence dispersion property. The optical device also includes a second layer including a second birefringent material having a positive birefringence dispersion property. The first layer and the second layer are structurally patterned to provide at least one predetermined optical function.

Provided are 3D glasses capable of reducing crosstalk when disposed on the viewer side of a liquid crystal panel that is time-divisionally driven; an optical device including the 3D glasses; and a three-dimensional image display device including the optical device. The 3D glasses include a right-eye polarizer and a left-eye polarizer, the right-eye polarizer and the left-eye polarizer each including a polarizing plate and a first λ/4 plate, at least one of the right-eye polarizer or the left-eye polarizer including a phase difference layer on or behind a back surface side of the polarizing plate, wherein a phase difference introduced by the right-eye polarizer in a thickness direction at a wavelength of 550 nm is different from a phase difference introduced by the left-eye polarizer in the thickness direction at a wavelength of 550 nm.

An improvement in image quality is achieved by compensating for a phase difference occurring in tilted light to achieve an improvement in contrast while suppressing luminance irregularity when in black display. An optical compensation device includes: a first optical compensation unit configured to generate a phase difference that has a substantially equal amount and a reverse sign in light with each incidence angle within a predetermined incidence angle range on a vertical alignment type liquid crystal panel with respect to a phase difference occurring from the liquid crystal panel; and a second optical compensation unit configured to generate a phase difference in an in-plane direction. The first optical compensation unit can appropriately compensate for a phase difference occurring in tilted light passing through a liquid crystal panel and the second optical compensation unit can suppress luminance irregularity when in black display.

An improvement in contrast is achieved by suitably offsetting a phase difference produced by oblique light in a liquid-crystal panel. An optical compensation apparatus includes a negative C-plate and two O-plates, an amount of a composite phase difference between the two O-plates and the negative C-plate in a tilt-direction cross section is substantially same as an amount of a phase difference produced by light having each of incident angles in a predetermined incident-angle range in the liquid-crystal panel, and a sign of the composite phase difference is opposite to a sign of the phase difference, the tilt-direction cross section being a cross section parallel to a tilt direction of the liquid crystal in a vertical-alignment-type liquid-crystal panel.

A display comprises a polarised output spatial light modulator, switchable liquid crystal retarder, absorbing polarizer and touch panel electrodes. The switchable liquid crystal layer is stabilised by a cured reactive mesogen material during application of an applied voltage. Light scatter in privacy mode is reduced and visual security level enhanced. Visibility of disclinations during application of applied pressure, for example from a finger on a touch screen is minimised.

A switchable privacy display apparatus comprises a polarised output spatial light modulator, and an additional polariser. A reflective polariser, switchable liquid crystal polar control retarder, passive polar control retarders and air gap are arranged between the display output polariser and additional polariser. The passive retarders are arranged to provide no phase difference to polarised light from the spatial light modulator for on-axis light; and simultaneously provide a non-zero phase difference for polarised light in off-axis directions. The polar control retarders are further arranged to achieve low reflectivity for light propagating through the air gap. A switchable privacy display that can be conveniently assembled at low cost can be provided with high contrast images for display users while maintaining high visual security level for off-axis snoopers.

A display device includes an electrically controlled viewing angle switching device including two polarizers and a liquid crystal cell disposed between the two polarizers. The liquid crystal cell includes two alignment layers and a liquid crystal material layer disposed between the two alignment layers and including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. A direction of an optical axis of the liquid crystal molecules and a viewing angle control direction of the display device have an included angle θ1 of 70-110 degrees. Two alignment directions of the two alignment layers and the viewing angle control direction have an included angle of 90±20 degrees and an included angle of 270±20 degrees, respectively. Included angles between directions of transmission axis of the two polarizers and alignment directions of the two alignment layers are selected from one of 0±5 degrees and 90±5 degrees.

The present application relates to a retardation film including a composition or a cured product thereof, the composition comprising: an acrylate-based resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 120° C.; or more; a retardation adjusting agent comprising a styrene monomer; and a triazine-based birefringence adjusting agent, in which the triazine-based birefringence adjusting agent is included in an amount of more than 5 parts by weight and 15 parts by weight or less, based on 100 parts by weight of the acrylate-based resin; a polarizing plate comprising the same, and a liquid crystal display device comprising the same.

An optical waveplate is provided. The optical waveplate includes a first birefringent film including optically anisotropic molecules arranged to form a first twist structure. The optical waveplate also includes a second birefringent film including optically anisotropic molecules arranged to form a second twist structure, the second birefringent film being stacked with the first birefringent film. The optically anisotropic molecules at a first portion of the first birefringent film adjacent an interface between the first birefringent film and the second birefringent film are configured with a first azimuthal angle. The optically anisotropic molecules at a second portion of the second birefringent film adjacent the interface are configured with a second azimuthal angle. The first azimuthal angle is substantially the same as the second azimuthal angle.

A control system for a switchable privacy display apparatus comprises an ambient light sensor and a display luminance controller arranged to control the luminance of the display in response to measured illuminance. High image visibility is provided for public mode operation while in privacy mode visual security level above a perceived privacy threshold may be obtained by means of control of image luminance, in response to the output of the ambient light sensor.