An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition capable of forming an optically anisotropic layer with suppressed alignment defects and an excellent alignment degree, an optically anisotropic layer, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention includes a rod-like liquid crystal compound, and an interface improver having a repeating unit B1 represented by Formula (N-1) and a repeating unit B2 having a fluorine atom. In Formula (N-1), R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and R.sup.B13 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, or a cyano group. Here, in a case where R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 represent a substituent, R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 may be linked to each other to form a ring.

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An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition capable of forming an optically anisotropic layer with suppressed alignment defects and an excellent alignment degree, an optically anisotropic layer, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention includes a rod-like liquid crystal compound, and an interface improver having a repeating unit B1 represented by Formula (N-1) and a repeating unit B2 having a fluorine atom. In Formula (N-1), R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and R.sup.B13 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, or a cyano group. Here, in a case where R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 represent a substituent, R.sup.B11 and R.sup.B12 may be linked to each other to form a ring.

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A liquid crystal composition contains a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound which can form a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree and has excellent solubility in a general-purpose solvent, a light absorption anisotropic film obtained using the composition, a laminate, and an image display device. The composition includes: a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound; and a dichroic substance, in which the compound is a copolymer having a repeating unit (1) containing a mesogenic group with a molecular weight of greater than 280 and a repeating unit (2) with a molecular weight of 280 or less, a content of the repeating unit (2) is less than 14% by mass with respect to a total mass of the compound, and a content of the dichroic substance is greater than 2% by mass with respect to a total solid content of the composition.

A liquid crystal composition contains a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound which can form a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree and has excellent solubility in a general-purpose solvent, a light absorption anisotropic film obtained using the composition, a laminate, and an image display device. The composition includes: a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound; and a dichroic substance, in which the compound is a copolymer having a repeating unit (1) containing a mesogenic group with a molecular weight of greater than 280 and a repeating unit (2) with a molecular weight of 280 or less, a content of the repeating unit (2) is less than 14% by mass with respect to a total mass of the compound, and a content of the dichroic substance is greater than 2% by mass with respect to a total solid content of the composition.

Provided is a laser oscillation element including a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, in which even in a case where the intensity of excitation light is weak, laser oscillation can be induced. The laser oscillation element includes a cholesteric liquid crystal layer obtained by cholesteric alignment of a liquid crystal compound, in which in a cross-section of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer observed with a scanning electron microscope, bright portions and dark portions derived from the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase are tilted with respect to a main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the cholesteric liquid crystal layer includes a colorant that emits light by excitation, and a luminescence wavelength range of the colorant and a selective reflection wavelength range of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer at least partially overlap each other.

Provided is a laser oscillation element including a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, in which even in a case where the intensity of excitation light is weak, laser oscillation can be induced. The laser oscillation element includes a cholesteric liquid crystal layer obtained by cholesteric alignment of a liquid crystal compound, in which in a cross-section of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer observed with a scanning electron microscope, bright portions and dark portions derived from the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase are tilted with respect to a main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the cholesteric liquid crystal layer includes a colorant that emits light by excitation, and a luminescence wavelength range of the colorant and a selective reflection wavelength range of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer at least partially overlap each other.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical laminate that has excellent uniformity and is capable of suppressing a change in tint of reflected light during black display in a case where the optical laminate is used for an image display device, and an image display device formed of the optical laminate.

The optical laminate is an optical laminate including a light absorption anisotropic layer containing a dichroic substance, a photo-alignment film, and a base material in order, in which the photo-alignment film contains a specific compound having a refractive index of 1.55 to 1.70, and the base material has a glass transition temperature of 150° C. or higher.

Provided is a polarizer-forming composition from which a polarizer with a high degree of alignment and excellent heat resistance can be formed, a polarizer, and an image display device. The polarizer-forming composition includes a liquid crystal compound, and a dichroic material, in which the liquid crystal compound is a polymer liquid crystal compound, and a content of a component having a number average molecular weight of 1000 or less which is contained in the polymer liquid crystal compound is in a range of 0.10% to 5.0% by mass.

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. In the embodiment of the present invention, a liquid crystal layer of the display panel includes a plurality of dichroic dye liquid crystal microcapsules, a dichroic dye in dichroic dye liquid crystal microcapsules can absorb incident light such that when the display panel performs no signal transmission, the dichroic dye polymer network liquid crystal can effectively absorb incident light to lower a dark state transmittance of the display panel to further enhance contrast of the display panel and improve optical characteristics thereof.

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. In the embodiment of the present invention, a liquid crystal layer of the display panel includes a plurality of dichroic dye liquid crystal microcapsules, a dichroic dye in dichroic dye liquid crystal microcapsules can absorb incident light such that when the display panel performs no signal transmission, the dichroic dye polymer network liquid crystal can effectively absorb incident light to lower a dark state transmittance of the display panel to further enhance contrast of the display panel and improve optical characteristics thereof.