According to one embodiment, an illumination device includes a first liquid crystal element opposed to a light emitting region, a second liquid crystal element including a first main surface and a second main surface, a first phase difference layer disposed on the second main surface, a second phase difference layer disposed on the second main surface and adjacent to the first phase difference layer, and a diffusion layer opposed to the first phase difference layer and the second phase difference layer. Each of the first liquid crystal element and the second liquid crystal element has a plurality of liquid crystal molecules, and is cured in a state in which an alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules has continuously changed in plane.

An illumination system is provided. The illumination system includes a light source assembly configured to output a first polarized light having a first handedness. The illumination system also includes a light guide plate configured to guide the first polarized light received from the light source assembly and output a second polarized light having a second handedness opposite to the first handedness. The light guide plate includes two wedges coupled to one other at a slanted surface between the two wedges and a reflective polarizer disposed at the slanted surface. The illumination system also includes a reflective sheet arranged at a first side surface of the light guide plate and configured to reflect the first polarized light as the second polarized light. The reflective polarizer includes a birefringent material having a chirality, and is configured to selectively transmit the first polarized light and reflect the second polarized light.

The present invention provides a display device including a display panel having a display surface, a polarizer disposed on the display surface, a first phase retardation layer disposed on one side of the polarizer opposite to the display surface, a polymerized cholesteric material layer disposed on one side of the first phase retardation layer opposite to the display surface, a second phase retardation layer disposed on one side of the polymerized cholesteric material layer opposite to the display surface, and a switchable polarizer disposed on one side of the second phase retardation layer opposite to the display surface. A first optical axis of the first phase retardation layer is orthogonal to a second optical axis of the second phase retardation layer. A first absorption axis of the polarizer is in the same direction as a second absorption axis of the switchable polarizer. The polarity of the switchable polarizer can be turned on or off according to a display state or a non-display state of the display panel, respectively.

Provided are a transfer-type decorative sheet and a method of manufacturing a transfer-type decorative sheet, the transfer-type decorative sheet including a decorative layer that has excellent peelability from a temporary support and excellent glossiness in case of being seen from an oblique direction. The transfer-type decorative sheet includes: a temporary support; an underlayer that is peelable from and disposed on one surface of the temporary support; and a decorative layer that is disposed on the underlayer, in which the decorative layer includes at least one cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the underlayer is a layer that is formed of a composition including a monomer having one or two polymerizable groups, and a water contact angle of the underlayer is 50° or more.

The present disclosure relates to an optical film including an optical laminate in which two or more light reflection layers having center wavelengths of reflection different from each other are laminated and a polarizing element layer. The two or more light reflection layers are selected from at least one light reflection layer RPRL having a center wavelength of selective reflection in the range of 400 nm or more and 900 nm or less, in which a cholesteric liquid crystal phase with a right-handed spiral structure having right-handed circularly polarized light reflectivity is fixed, and at least one light reflection layer LPRL having a center wavelength of selective reflection in the range of 400 nm or more and 900 nm or less, in which a cholesteric liquid crystal phase with a left-handed spiral structure having left-handed circularly polarized light reflectivity is fixed. Light reflection layer RPRL and light reflection layer LPRL each have a center wavelength of selective reflection shifted from that of a light reflection layer adjacent to each other by an interval of 40 nm or more and 500 nm or less, and the maximum reflectance of optical laminate is 50% or less.

Provided is an organic EL display device in which blue brightness is improved, and an antireflection function in an oblique direction is enhanced. The problem is solved by ensuring that a polarizer, a phase difference layer, a circularly polarized light separating layer, and a light emitting element are provided from a viewing side, an in-plane retardation Re(550) of the phase difference layer is set to 100 to 160 nm, the circularly polarized light separating layer is a cholesteric liquid crystal layer having a selective reflection center wavelength in a range of 425 to 475 nm, and a sum of retardations Rth(550) in a thickness direction of members arranged between the polarizer and the light emitting element is set to −50 to 50 nm.

An optical device includes a light source and a polarization selective optical element. The polarization selective optical element includes a stack of a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers. The plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers includes a first cholesteric liquid crystal layer with liquid crystal molecules arranged in a first helical configuration having a first pitch range for light of a first wavelength range and a second cholesteric liquid crystal layer with liquid crystal molecules arranged in a second helical configuration having a second pitch range for light of a second wavelength range. The second wavelength range is different from the first wavelength range.

An optical film includes a plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals and organic solid crystal structures at least partially surrounding the plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals. A method of making the optical film includes obtaining a substrate with an alignment layer and a film of a first solution on the alignment layer. The first solution includes liquid crystals and organic crystal molecules. The liquid crystals form a plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals on the alignment layer. The method also includes forming organic solid crystal structures by crystallizing the organic crystal molecules. The organic solid crystal structures at least partially surround the plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals.

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal optical element comprises a transparent substrate comprising a first main surface and a second main surface opposed to the first main surface, an alignment film disposed on the second main surface, and a liquid crystal layer overlapping the alignment film and comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal and an additive exhibiting a liquid crystalline property. Refractive anisotropy of the additive is greater than refractive anisotropy of the liquid crystal layer.

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.