A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes in the following order from a viewing surface side a first polarizer, a first positive A plate having an in-plane retardation of 120 nm or greater and 155 nm or smaller, a positive C plate having a thickness retardation of 80 nm or greater and 100 nm or smaller, a first substrate, a second positive A plate having an in-plane retardation of 120 nm or greater and 155 nm or smaller, a horizontally aligned liquid crystal layer, a second substrate, a viewing angle compensation layer, and a second polarizer. The device further includes between the first polarizer and the first positive A plate a positive C plate having a thickness retardation of 30 nm or greater and 80 nm or smaller.

There is provided a display device exhibiting a good color reproducibility, even when observed through polarized sunglasses. A display device comprises a polarizer a and an optical film X on a surface on a light emitting surface side of a display element, wherein L.sub.1, which is the light incident vertically on the optical film X, among light incident on the optical film X from the display element side, satisfies a specific condition, and L.sub.2, which is the light emitting vertically from the light emitting surface side of the optical film X, and passing through a polarizer b having the absorption axis parallel to the absorption axis of the polarizer a, satisfies a specific condition.

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.

A display device includes a display panel, a polarizing plate disposed above the display panel, a support member disposed below the display panel, where a through hole is defined in the support member, an electronic module disposed below the display panel, where the electronic module overlaps the through hole, and a protective layer disposed above the polarizing plate. The protective layer has a thickness direction retardation of greater than about 0 nm and not greater than about 1,500 nm and an in-plane retardation of greater than about 0 nm and not greater than about 200 nm.

A light modulating device is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a light modulating device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a light modulation layer, and a retardation film, wherein each of the first and second substrates has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first and second surfaces are disposed opposite to each other, wherein the first surfaces of the first and second substrates face each other, wherein the light modulation layer is disposed between the first and second substrates, wherein the retardation film is formed on the second surface of the first substrate or the second substrate, and wherein the retardation film has an in-plane phase difference in a range of 100 nm to 300 nm for light having a wavelength of 550 nm. The light modulating device can be control omnidirectional light leakage in a black mode while having excellent optical properties and mechanical properties.

A display comprises a polarised output spatial light modulator, switchable liquid crystal retarder, absorbing polariser and touch panel electrodes. The electrodes of the switchable liquid crystal retarder shield the touch panel electrodes from the electrical noise of the spatial light modulator addressing. The touch panel control and sensing may be synchronised with the driving signal of the switchable liquid crystal retarder. The touch panel may be operated independently of the timing of the data addressing of the spatial light modulator.

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.

A privacy display comprises a spatial light modulator and a compensated switchable liquid crystal retarder arranged between first and second polarisers arranged in series with the spatial light modulator. In a privacy mode of operation, on-axis light from the spatial light modulator is directed without loss, whereas off-axis light has reduced luminance. The visibility of the display to off-axis snoopers is reduced by means of luminance reduction over a wide polar field. In a wide angle mode of operation, the switchable liquid crystal retardance is adjusted so that off-axis luminance is substantially unmodified.

A novel copolymer suitable for an optical film which is excellent in optical characteristics and has high retardation even in a thin film state, and an optical film containing the same are provided. A copolymer excellent in optical characteristics and easy to form a composite with a different polymer, and an optical film composed of the same are also provided.

The present application provides an optical film. By controlling transmittance of a liquid crystal layer comprising a radical initiator for the maximum absorption wavelength of the radical initiator, the present application can provide an optical film having a liquid crystal layer having excellent resistance to external stimuli and excellent optical properties. Such an optical film can have various forms and can be used in various fields.