An optical element 1 includes a first layer (A1) and a second layer (A2) that faces the first layer (A1). The first layer (A1) includes a plurality of first structural bodies (B1) that each have optical anisotropy. In reflection of light entering from the first layer (A1), the second layer (A2) reflects the light while maintaining a polarization state of the light at incidence and at the reflection. The first layer (A1) changes, according to directions of orientation of the first structural bodies (B1), a phase of the light from a phase at incidence to the first layer (A1) from outside of the first layer (A1) to a phase at output from the first layer (A1) toward the second layer (A2). The first layer (A1) changes the phase of the light from a phase at incidence to the first layer (A1) from the second layer (A2) to a phase at output from the first layer (A1) toward the outside of the first layer (A1) according to the directions of orientation of the first structural bodies (B1).

A device for modulation of light (16) having a wavelength, comprising: a first substrate (10) with a first face (81) and a second opposite face (82), and comprising a first electrode (11); a second substrate (20) adjacent to the second face (82) and defining a gap between the first and second substrate (10, 20), the second substrate (20) comprising a second electrode (21); a responsive liquid crystal layer (15) disposed in the gap, wherein the responsive liquid crystal layer (15) has a flexoelectro-optic chiral nematic phase, and is birefringent with an optic axis that tilts in response to an applied electric field between the first and second electrode (11, 21); and a minor adjacent to the second substrate (20), the minor configured to reflect incident circular polarised light while preserving its handedness.

Materials that can be templated by one or more of biological material and biologically-derived material, structures including such materials, and methods of forming and using the materials and structures are disclosed. Exemplary materials and structures can be used to reflect, polarize and/or retard electromagnetic radiation.

Provided is a display capable of displaying augmented reality (AR) in which background visibility is maintained and a hotspot is not visible. The display includes, at least: a transparent screen; a projection device for projecting a projection image on the transparent screen; and a sheet-shaped light guide plate for guiding the projection image, in which the projection device is disposed so that light of the projection image is incident from an end portion of the light guide plate, and the transparent screen is attached to at least one of main surfaces of the light guide plate.

Provided are an optical laminate in which a large diffraction angle can be obtained, a light guide element, and an AR display device. The optical laminate includes, in the following order: a first optically-anisotropic layer that is formed of a composition including a liquid crystal compound and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound continuously rotates in at least one in-plane direction; a phase difference layer; and a patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer that is formed of a composition including a liquid crystal compound and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound continuously rotates in at least one in-plane direction, the liquid crystal compound being cholesterically aligned, in which in the first optically-anisotropic layer and the patterned cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the one in-plane directions in which the direction of the optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound continuously rotates are the same, and rotation directions of the direction of the optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound in the one in-plane direction are the same.

Provided are an optical laminate in which a large diffraction angle can be obtained, a light guide element, and an AR display device. The optical laminate includes, in the following order: a first optically-anisotropic layer that is formed of a composition including a liquid crystal compound and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction; a cholesteric liquid crystal layer that is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase; and a second optically-anisotropic layer that is formed of a composition including a liquid crystal compound and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound continuously rotates in at least one in-plane direction, in which in the first optically-anisotropic layer and the second optically-anisotropic layer, the one in-plane directions in which the direction of the optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound continuously rotates are the same, and rotation directions of the direction of the optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound in the one in-plane direction are the same.

Examples of diffractive devices comprise a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) layer comprising a plurality of chiral structures, wherein each chiral structure comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules that extend in a layer depth direction by at least a helical pitch and are successively rotated in a first rotation direction. Arrangements of the liquid crystal molecules of the chiral structures vary periodically in a lateral direction perpendicular to the layer depth direction to provide a diffraction grating. The diffractive devices can be configured to reflect light having a particular wavelength range and sense of circular polarization. The diffractive devices can be used in waveguides and imaging systems in augmented or virtual reality systems.

An image display device includes a wavelength conversion layer containing quantum dots and a light reflecting layer provided on an observer side with respect to the wavelength conversion layer. The light reflecting layer includes, in a reflection wavelength region, a peak wavelength of a light source that emits excitation light to be used for emission of the quantum dots. The light reflecting layer is a polarizing reflective layer.

An optical device is provided. The optical device includes a first optical element configured to output an elliptically polarized light having one or more predetermined polarization ellipse parameters. The optical device also includes a second optical element including a birefringent material with a chirality, and configured to receive the elliptically polarized light from the first optical element and reflect the elliptically polarized light as a circularly polarized light.

An object of the present invention is to provide is an optical laminate film exhibiting excellent reflection tint and an organic EL display device using this optical laminate film and exhibiting excellent reflection tint when turned off. The object is achieved by providing an optical laminate film including a polarizer, a phase difference layer, and a circularly polarized light separating layer in this order, in which an in-plane retardation Re(550) of the phase difference layer is 120 to 160 nm, the polarizer and the phase difference layer are arranged to form an angle of 45°±10°, the circularly polarized light separating layer is a cholesteric liquid crystal layer formed by fixing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase and having a liquid crystalline molecule as a main component, and Re(550) is 0.5 to 3.0 nm, and an optical laminate film in which a circularly polarized light separating layer has an in-plane phase difference and an angle formed between a slow axis of a phase difference layer and a slow axis of the circularly polarized light separating layer is −30° to 30°.