The present invention provides an optical film including a light reflection layer, in which the light reflection layer is a layer in which alignment of liquid crystal molecules is immobilized, the liquid crystal molecule forms a helical structure in a film thickness direction of the light reflection layer, and a tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecule is 15° to 55°. The present invention also provides a manufacturing method of the optical film including curing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound and a chiral agent interposed between a support and another support. In the optical film according to the present invention, an absolute value of oblique retardation is smaller. In the liquid crystal display device including the optical film, front surface brightness is high and an oblique change in the shade is suppressed.

A method for producing a polarizing film includes (1) preparing a laminate (a) which includes a carrier film and a polarizer with a thickness of 10 μm or less formed on one surface of the carrier film and contains a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin; (2) peeling off the carrier film from the laminate (a); and (3) applying a liquid material to a side of the laminate (a) from which the carrier film has been peeled off and then solidifying or curing the liquid material to form a transparent resin layer with a thickness of 0.2 μm or more, wherein the liquid material contains a resin component or a curable component capable of forming a resin layer. This production method enables the achievement of a polarizing film which is able to have satisfactory durability in a heated environment even in cases where a thin polarizer is used therefor.

The present invention pertains to a polarizing film having a transparent layer on at least one surface of a polarizer, wherein: the polarizer contains a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin and has a thickness of 15 μm or less; the transparent layer-side of the polarizer has a compatible layer thereon having compatibility with the transparent layer; and the thickness A of the polarizer and the thickness B of the compatible layer satisfy the general formula (100×B/A)≧1. This polarizing film has crack resistance and suppresses changes in the dimensions of the polarizer.

A liquid crystal display device: includes: a first polarizer; a liquid crystal cell including a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules aligned in parallel with a substrate of the liquid crystal cell; a first compensation film; and a second polarizer, wherein, as viewed perpendicularly to the substrate, an absorption axis of the first polarizer is parallel with an optical axis of the first compensation film, and an angle φ between the absorption axis of the first polarizer and an optical axis of the liquid crystal layer satisfies 0°<φ, in a cross section of the liquid crystal cell as viewed along a transmission axis of the first polarizer, an optical axis of the liquid crystal layer and the optical axis of the first compensation film have a tilt angle in the same direction to a face of the substrate, and the first compensation film has a positive birefringence.

A liquid crystal display includes: a first polarizer; a liquid crystal cell including a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules horizontally aligned to a face of a substrate; and a second polarizer. The liquid crystal display further includes a first optical compensation film disposed between the first polarizer and the liquid crystal cell, an absorption axis of the first polarizer, an optical axis of the first optical compensation film, and an optical axis of the liquid crystal layer being parallel to each other in a view of the liquid crystal cell in a direction orthogonal to the face of the substrate of the liquid crystal cell. The optical axis of the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal cell and the optical axis of the first optical compensation film have a tilt angle from the face of the substrate of the liquid crystal cell in a same direction.

Provided is an optically anisotropic film exhibiting reverse wavelength dispersibility with excellent thickness-direction phase differences, a laminate, a circularly polarizing plate, and a display device. The optically anisotropic film of an embodiment of the present invention satisfies the following Requirements 1 to 4. Requirement 1: In a case of irradiation with P-polarized light and S-polarized light, which are linearly polarized light perpendicular to each other, from a direction inclined by 45° from a normal direction of a film surface of the optically anisotropic film, an absorption intensity ratio in a case of irradiation with S-polarized light to an absorption intensity in a case of irradiation with P-polarized light is 1.02 or more in an absorption intensity at a wavelength having a largest absorption in a wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm. Requirement 2: Re(550)<10 nm, Requirement 3: Re(800)<10 nm, Requirement 4: Rth(450)/Rth(550)<1,

The present invention provides a composition to form an optically anisotropic film exhibiting excellent reverse wavelength dispersibility, an optically anisotropic film, a circularly polarizing plate; a display device; and a near-infrared absorbing coloring agent. The composition includes a liquid crystal compound or a polymer, and a near-infrared absorbing coloring agent having a structural moiety including a coloring agent skeleton and a mesogenic group that is bonded to the coloring agent skeleton, in which the near-infrared absorbing coloring agent satisfies Condition 1 where an absolute value λ1 of a square root of a first eigenvalue and an absolute value λ2 of a square root of a second eigenvalue satisfy a relationship of Formula (A) λ2/λ1≤0.60; and Condition 2: An angle between a direction of a transition moment of absorption of the infrared absorbing coloring agent and a direction of an eigenvector of the first eigenvalue is 75.0° or more.

Provided is an optically anisotropic film exhibiting reverse wavelength dispersibility with excellent thickness-direction phase differences, a laminate, a circularly polarizing plate, and a display device. The optically anisotropic film of an embodiment of the present invention satisfies the following Requirements 1 to 4. Requirement 1: In a case of irradiation with P-polarized light and S-polarized light, which are linearly polarized light perpendicular to each other, from a direction inclined by 45° from a normal direction of a film surface of the optically anisotropic film, an absorption intensity ratio in a case of irradiation with S-polarized light to an absorption intensity in a case of irradiation with P-polarized light is 1.02 or more in an absorption intensity at a wavelength having a largest absorption in a wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm. Requirement 2: Re(550)<10 nm, Requirement 3: Re(800)<10 nm. Requirement 4: Rth(450)/Rth(550)<1.

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 optical film includes a first pattern layer including a base part and a plurality of protruding parts disposed on the base part, and having a first refractive index, and a second pattern layer disposed on the first pattern layer and having a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index. Each of the protruding parts includes a bottom surface adjacent to the base part, an upper surface opposite to the bottom surface and parallel to the bottom surface, and a side surface disposed between the bottom surface and the upper surface. The side surface includes three or more sub-inclined surfaces, inclination angles of which are different from each other, or includes a curved surface which is convex in a direction of the second pattern layer.