A side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound with which a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree can be formed, which includes a liquid crystalline composition, a light absorption anisotropic film which is formed of the liquid crystalline composition, a laminate, and an image display device. A liquid crystalline composition contains a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, the side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having repeating units 1 and 2, the repeating unit 1 has a mesogenic group and an electron-withdrawing group having a Hammett's substituent constant σp of greater than 0 at a terminal of the mesogenic group, and the repeating unit 2 has a mesogenic group and a group having a Hammett's substituent constant σp of 0 or less at a terminal of the mesogenic group.

Provided are an optical film, a circularly polarizing plate, and an image display apparatus in each of which the occurrence of cracks is suppressed in the obtained film in a case of being punched. The optical film includes a stretched resin film and a liquid crystal layer formed by fixing a liquid crystal compound twist-aligned along a helical axis extending along a direction in thickness, in which a δa value calculated using a three-dimensional solubility parameter of a resin in the stretched resin film is 8.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less, the liquid crystal layer contains a cured substance of a polyfunctional compound having two or more polymerizable groups in one molecule, and an absolute value of a difference between the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the polyfunctional compound and the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the resin is 4.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less.

An object of the present invention is to provide a polymer film having a small anisotropy of linear expansion factor. Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate for communication including the polymer film.

The polymer film of the present invention is a polymer film including a liquid crystal polymer, in which, in a case of observing a surface of the polymer film under a crossed nicol environment with a polarization microscope, a plurality of bright portions are observed in an observation region, and in the plurality of bright portions, an equivalent circle diameter of a bright portion having a maximum equivalent circle diameter is 10 μm or less.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical laminate in which optically anisotropic layers exhibiting reverse wavelength dispersibility have excellent moisture-heat resistance, and the adhesiveness between a first optically anisotropic layer and a second optically anisotropic layer is excellent; and a polarizing plate and an image display device, each using the optical laminate. The optical laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention is an optical laminate having a first optically anisotropic layer and a second optically anisotropic layer, in which both of the first optically anisotropic layer and the second optically anisotropic layer are directly laminated and consist of a liquid crystal layer, at least one of the first optically anisotropic layer or the second optically anisotropic layer exhibits reverse wavelength dispersibility, a photo-alignment polymer having a photo-alignment group and a fluorine atom or a silicon atom is present on a surface of the second optically anisotropic layer on a side in contact with the first optically anisotropic layer, and an element ratio of fluorine or silicon on the surface of the second optically anisotropic layer on the side in contact with the first optically anisotropic layer is 0.05% to 15.00% by atom.

A polymerizable LC material comprising one or more reactive mesogenic compounds, one or more chiral compounds and a block copolymer that comprises at least one polyfluorooxetane block bonded to a polyether block, said polyfluorooxetane block having a repeating unit of the formula ##STR00001## Further, a method for its preparation, a polymer film obtainable from a corresponding polymerizable LC material, a method of preparation of such polymer film, and the use of such polymer film and said polymerizable LC material in optical, electro-optical, decorative or security devices.

Provided are an optical film, a circularly polarizing plate, and an image display apparatus in each of which the occurrence of cracks is suppressed in the obtained film in a case of being punched. The optical film includes a stretched resin film and a liquid crystal layer formed by fixing a liquid crystal compound twist-aligned along a helical axis extending along a direction in thickness, in which a δa value calculated using a three-dimensional solubility parameter of a resin in the stretched resin film is 8.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less, the liquid crystal layer contains a cured substance of a polyfunctional compound having two or more polymerizable groups in one molecule, and an absolute value of a difference between the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the polyfunctional compound and the δa value calculated using the three-dimensional solubility parameter of the resin is 4.0 MPa.sup.1/2 or less.

Provided is a method for manufacturing an LCP film for a circuit substrate capable of achieving an LCP film for a circuit substrate having a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion and excellent dimensional stability, without excessively impairing excellent basic performance possessed by the liquid crystal polyester, such as mechanical characteristics, electrical characteristics, and heat resistance. The method for manufacturing an LCP film for a circuit substrate at least comprising: a composition provision step of providing an LCP resin composition at least containing 100 parts by mass of a liquid crystal polyester and 1 to 20 parts by mass of a polyarylate; a film forming step of T-die melt-extruding the LCP resin composition to form a T-die melt-extruded LCP film having a coefficient of linear thermal expansion (α2) in a TD direction of 50 ppm/K or more; and a pressurizing and heating step of subjecting the T-die melt-extruded LCP film to pressure and heat treatment to obtain an LCP film for a circuit substrate having a coefficient of linear thermal expansion (α2) in the TD direction of 16.8±12 ppm/K.

A white light emitting device comprises: an LED that generates excitation light of wavelength from 420 nm to 480 nm; and photoluminescence materials that generate light with a peak emission wavelength from 500 nm to 650 nm comprising a broadband phosphor, and a manganese-activated narrowband red fluoride phosphor with a peak emission wavelength from 628 nm to 640 nm and a full width at half maximum of less than 30 nm. The device generates white light with a selected color temperature from 2200K to 6500K, a General Color Rendering Index, CRI Ra, of at least 80, and a Duv (Delta u, v) from 0.0060 to 0.0170 for the selected color temperature and wherein the device has an LER (Luminous Efficacy of Radiation) of at least 320 lm/W.sub.opt.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film which is excellent in the adhesiveness between a polymer support and a photo alignment film and in which a liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility is uniformly aligned. The optical film is obtained by laminating, in the following order: a polymer support containing an additive; a photo alignment film; and an optically anisotropic film, wherein the optically anisotropic film is formed of a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having reverse wavelength dispersibility, and an amount of a component derived from the additive of the polymer support, which is contained in a boundary region with the optically anisotropic film in the photo alignment film is 0.10 to 0.50 mass % with respect to a total mass of the photo alignment film.

Provided are a cholesteric liquid crystal film including a cholesteric liquid crystal, in which, in a cross section in a thickness direction observed with a microscope, the cholesteric liquid crystal film has a stripe pattern in which dark portions and bright portions are alternately arranged, and has a folded structure due to the dark portions at a surface layer portion of one main surface of a pair of main surfaces; and a manufacturing method thereof.