A multilayer optical retardation compensation film having at least one positive C-plate and at least one negative C-plate is used in an LCD device. The multilayer film may have a substantially flat wavelength dispersion curve, or the multilayer film combined with other layers in the LCD device may have a substantially flat wavelength dispersion curve. Polymer films for the positive C-plate may be identified according to their absorbance maxima at certain wavelength ranges.

The present invention relates to: a polymerizable compound represented by a formula (I); a polymerizable composition comprising the polymerizable compound and an initiator; a polymer obtained by polymerizing the polymerizable compound or the polymerizable composition; and an optically anisotropic article comprising the polymer [in the formula, Y.sup.1 to Y.sup.8 are a chemical single bond, —O—, —O—C(═O)—, —C(═O)—O—, or the like; G.sup.1 and G.sup.2 are a divalent aliphatic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or the like; Z.sup.1 and Z.sup.2 are an alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, or the like; A.sup.1 is a tetravalent aromatic group, or the like; A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 are a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, or the like; A.sup.4 and A.sup.5 are a divalent aromatic group having 4 to 30 carbon atoms, or the like; A.sup.x1 and A.sup.x2 are an organic group having 2 to 30 carbon atoms that includes an aromatic ring, or the like; A.sup.y1 and A.sup.y2 are a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or the like; Q.sup.1 and Q.sup.2 are a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or the like; and m and n are 0 or 1]. According to the present invention, a polymerizable compound, a polymerizable composition, and a polymer that have a practical low melting point, exhibit excellent solubility in a general-purpose solvent, can be produced at low cost, and can produce an optical film that achieves uniform conversion of polarized light over a wide wavelength band, and also provide an optically anisotropic article. ##STR00001##

A long-length circularly polarizing plate including: a polarizing film; a λ/2 plate having a slow axis in a direction forming an angle of 22.5°±10° relative to an absorption axis of the polarizing film; and a plate having a slow axis in a direction forming an angle of 90°±20° relative to an absorption axis of the polarizing film, in this order, wherein the λ/2 plate and the λ/4 plate have different wavelength dispersions, and an NZ factor of the λ/4 plate NZq satisfies NZq≦0.0.

An optical film is provided and has retardations satisfying relations (1) to (3): (1) 0≦Re(550)≦10; (2) −25≦Rth(550)≦25; and (3) |I|+|II|+|III|+|IV|>0.5 (nm),
with definitions: I=Re(450)−Re(550); II=Re(650)−Re(550); III=Rth(450)−Rth(550); and IV=Rth(650)−Rth(550),
wherein Re(450), Re(550) and Re(650) are in-plane retardations measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively; and Rth(450), Rth(550) and Rth(650) are retardations in a thickness direction of the optical film, which are measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively.

An optical device (100) includes laser light sources (111 to 113), polarization films (121 to 123), and a stacked wave plate (130). The laser light sources (111 to 113) respectively output light of a different wavelength. The stacked wave plate (130) includes multiple wave plates (131 to 133) and induces a phase difference on polarization components of transmitted light. The polarization films (121 to 123) adjust the polarization direction of the light such that an angle between polarization directions of the light emitted by the laser light sources (111 to 113) and input to the stacked wave plate (130) becomes an angle that corrects an orientation angle difference that occurs at the stacked wave plate (130), consequent to differences in the wavelength of the light.

A liquid-crystal based color switch for use with an image sensor having sub-diffraction-limited (SDL) pixels. The color switch may switch between a first mode where green light is passed (and blue and red light is blocked) and a second mode where blue and red light is passed (and green light is blocked). The color switch may include an achromatic switch (such as a liquid crystal switch) and retarder stack filter that are both sandwiched between a first and a second polarizer. The SDL pixels may be distributed so that green subpixels are never adjacent to other green subpixels in the same row or column, so that red subpixels are always adjacent to green subpixels in the same row or column, and so that blue subpixels are always adjacent to green subpixels in the same row or column.

The present disclosure provides an optical assembly, a liquid crystal display device, and an electronic equipment. The optical assembly includes: a linear polarizer, a half-wave plate, and a quarter-wave plate stacked in sequence. An absorption axis of the linear polarizer is substantially perpendicular to a first direction, and the first direction is parallel to a surface of the linear polarizer; an angle between an in-plane slow axis of the half-wave plate and the first direction is in a range of 100° to 110°; an angle between an in-plane slow axis of the quarter-wave plate and the first direction is in a range of 160° to 170°.

The present invention is to provide an optical film having optically anisotropic layer having excellent durability, and a polarizing plate and an image display device using the same. An optical film of the present invention is an optical film having at least an optically anisotropic layer, in which the optically anisotropic layer is a layer obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition containing a predetermined liquid crystal compound and a polymerization initiator, and an extrapolated glass transition starting temperature of the optically anisotropic layer is 70° C. or higher.

A polarizing plate for IPS mode and an optical display apparatus including the same are provided. A polarizing plate includes: a polarizer; a first protective layer on an upper surface of the polarizer; and a second protective layer on a lower surface of the polarizer, wherein, assuming an axis of the polarizer having a high index of refraction in an in-plane direction of the polarizer is a reference axis (0°), an angle of an axis of the first protective layer having a low index of refraction in the in-plane direction thereof is in a range of about −5° to +5°, the first protective layer has an in-plane retardation Re of about 5,000 nm or more at a wavelength of 550 nm, the second protective layer includes a positive C plate layer, and the second protective layer satisfies at least one of Relations 1 and 2.

Provided is a laminate exhibiting excellent reverse wavelength dispersibility, a circularly polarizing plate, and a display device. The laminate includes a first optically anisotropic film and a second optically anisotropic film, in which both of the first optically anisotropic film and the second optically anisotropic film have a slow axis in an in-plane direction, a maximum absorbance X in a wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm in a slow axis direction and a maximum absorbance Y in a wavelength range of 700 to 900 nm in a fast axis direction of the first optically anisotropic film are different from each other, and the slow axis of the first optically anisotropic film and the slow axis of the second optically anisotropic film are parallel with or perpendicular to each other.