An example apparatus may include a display, a beamsplitter having a first region and a second region, and a reflective polarizer. The reflectance of the second region of the beamsplitter may be appreciably greater than the reflectance of the first region; for example, at least approximately 20% greater. In some examples, the second region may be a peripheral region surrounding a generally centrally located first region. An example apparatus may be configured so that at least some light emitted by the display is transmitted through the first region of the beamsplitter, reflects from the reflective polarizer, reflects from the second region of the beamsplitter, and is then directed through the reflective polarizer to an eye of a user when the user wears the apparatus. Other devices, methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

A viewing angle control system is used in combination with a high-definition image display device and sufficiently shields light emitted in a direction oblique to a normal direction of a film. The viewing angle control system includes at least a first polarizer, a retardation layer, and a second polarizer in this order, where an absorption axis of the first polarizer forms an angle of 45° or greater with respect to a surface, the retardation layer satisfies Expression (1): an in-plane retardation Re of the retardation layer satisfies an expression of 80 nm<Re<250 nm, and Expression (2): in a case of Nz=Rth/Re+0.5, an expression of 1.5<Nz<6 or −5<Nz<−0.5 is satisfied, where Rth represents a retardation of the retardation layer in a thickness direction, and the second polarizer has an absorption axis in an in-plane direction.

A projection type transparent display includes a polarization modulator and a reflective layer. The polarization modulator is stacked in sequence by a linear polarizer, a liquid crystal layer and a phase retarder. The reflective layer is stacked on the phase retarder. A projection light is incident on the linear polarizer to form a linearly polarized light. The liquid crystal layer changes a polarization direction of the linearly polarized light. Two kinds of linearly polarized projection lights with polarization directions orthogonal to each other are respectively formed and pass through the phase retarder to respectively form two kinds of circularly polarized projection lights with opposite rotation directions. A background light is incident on the reflective layer. A circularly polarized background light with the same spiral direction is reflected, and the circularly polarized background light opposite to the spiral direction passes through the reflective layer and is incident on the polarization modulator.

An optical system and a method for non-mechanically (i.e., without physical movement) scanning a laser using a lens, a steering optical element, and transmission and receive paths having a non-zero spatial offset. Also, an optical system and a method for non-linearly and non-mechanically scanning a laser using a lens and a steering optical element, such that detection points resulting from the scanned laser are non-linearly mapped into space.

A liquid crystal device includes a reflection-type liquid crystal panel in which a first substrate provided with a reflective layer and a second substrate having light-transmissivity face each other via a liquid crystal layer. In the liquid crystal device, a λ/4 phase difference plate is arranged in an optical path in which light incident from the second substrate side is reflected by the reflective layer and emitted from the second substrate side, and a phase difference compensation layer such as a C plate and O plate provided integrally with the liquid crystal panel is provided in the optical path. The λ/4 phase difference plate is an inorganic material film provided on a second end surface facing the second substrate in the polarized light separating element. The phase difference compensation layer is an inorganic material film provided on a surface of the second substrate opposite to the liquid crystal layer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laminate in which the coloring of reflected light is reduced. The laminate includes an optical film having a light absorption anisotropic film formed using a composition including a dichroic substance and having a transmittance of more than 50%, a λ/4 plate, and a metal electrode in this order, in which in a case where a degree (%) of polarization at a wavelength of λ of the optical film is defined as P(λ) and a reflectance (%) at the wavelength of λ of the metal electrode is defined as R(λ), a ratio of a minimum value of R/P to a maximum value of R/P at wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm, and 650 nm is more than 85%.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laminate in which the coloring of reflected light is reduced. The laminate includes an optical film having a light absorption anisotropic film formed using a composition including a dichroic substance and having a transmittance of more than 50%, a λ/4 plate, and a metal electrode in this order, in which in a case where a degree (%) of polarization at a wavelength of λ of the optical film is defined as P(λ) and a reflectance (%) at the wavelength of λ of the metal electrode is defined as R(λ), a ratio of a minimum value of R/P to a maximum value of R/P at wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm, and 650 nm is more than 85%.

The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for improving the performance and efficiency of optical systems, such as optical systems for using head-mounted display system. The optical systems of the present disclosure may include polarized catadioptric optics, or “pancake optics,” which utilize a wire grid polarizer as a reflective polarizer. Wire grid polarizers may not perform uniformly over wavelength or over varying angles of incidence. To improve performance, a spatially varying polarizer is provided in the optical system that operates to provide polarization compensation for the wire grid polarizer so that the wire grid polarizer performs more uniformly over wavelength and/or over incidence angles (e.g., on-axis and off-axis). The spatially varying polarizer may be formed of a liquid crystal material, such as a multi-twist retarder.

A retardation film includes a polyester-series resin exhibiting a negative orientation birefringence and a forward wavelength dispersibility in retardation in combination with a polyamide-series resin exhibiting a positive orientation birefringence and a flat dispersibility in retardation. The polyester-series resin may contain a constitutional unit having a fluorene-9,9-diyl group, and the polyamide-series resin may contain a constitutional unit having an alicyclic skeleton. The polyester-series resin may contain at least one constitutional unit selected from a fluorenedicarboxylic acid unit (A1) containing a unit of the formula (1) and a fluorenediol unit (B1) containing a unit of the formula (2):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent a substituent; k and m each denote an integer of 0 to 8; X.sup.1a, X.sup.1b, X.sup.2a, and X.sup.2b each represent a hydrocarbon group; A.sup.1a and A.sup.1b each represent an alkylene group; n1 and n2 each denote an integer of not less than 0. The retardation film has both a high retardation expression and a reciprocal wavelength dispersibility.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical laminate in which an optically anisotropic layer provided as an upper layer has good liquid crystal alignment properties, and a polarizing plate and an image display device using the optical laminate. An optical laminate of the present invention is an optical laminate including: a first optically anisotropic layer; and a second optically anisotropic layer, in which the first and second optically anisotropic layers are directly laminated, each of the first and second optically anisotropic layers consists of a liquid crystal layer, and a photo-alignment polymer having a photo-alignment group and at least one type of polar group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group and a ketone group is present in a surface of the second optically anisotropic layer on a side in contact with the first optically anisotropic layer.