Abstract: A polarizing plate may have high transmittance characteristics and suppressed reflected light. An optical device may be provided with the polarizing plate. The polarizing plate may have a wire grid structure that includes a transparent substrate and grid-like projection portions arranged on the transparent substrate at a pitch shorter than the wavelength of light in a used bandwidth and extending in a predetermined direction. The grid-like projection portions may each have a reflective layer and a dielectric layer in order from the transparent substrate side. When viewed from the predetermined direction, the reflective layer has may have a step on the side thereof and may have the largest bottom width on the transparent substrate side.

Abstract: Provided is a structural birefringence-type inorganic wave plate having excellent heat resistance and durability, and a fine pattern. Also provided is a manufacturing method for an inorganic wave plate by which, even in the case of a fine pattern, productivity is high, and a desired phase difference is easily achieved and stably obtained. This inorganic wave plate is obtained by utilizing a selective interaction between a polymer having a repeating unit containing a carbonyl group, and a metallic oxide precursor, the inorganic wave plate having a wire grid structure provided with a transparent substrate, and grid-shaped protruding portions arranged at a pitch shorter than the wavelength of light in a used band on at least one surface of the transparent substrate and extending in a predetermined direction, the main component of the grid-shaped protruding portion being a metallic oxide.

Abstract: Provided is a depolarizing plate having a superior degree of depolarization to conventional depolarizing plates. The depolarizing plate includes a light-transmitting substrate having a surface layer portion in which a fine pattern is provided that includes a plurality of curved lines randomly disposed at a pitch of no greater than a wavelength of light, and that exhibits structural birefringence.

Abstract: There is provided a method to manufacture a diffuser plate with better productivity and exhibiting an excellent diffusion property and having excellent durability with respect to light having large coherence, the microlens array diffuser plate including: a microlens group positioned on a surface of a transparent substrate. The diffuser plate includes two or more unit cells that are continuously set in array, the unit cell includes a plurality of microlenses positioned on the surface of the transparent substrate, and ridge lines between the microlenses adjacent to each other are nonparallel to each other, and are nonparallel to the transparent substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a wire grid polarization plate that has heat resistance and excellent polarization properties, and has durability even in a thin wire structure with a small pitch, and an optical apparatus and a manufacturing method of a polarization plate. A periodic lamellar structure is formed with a material forming arrangement by self-assembling performance, and then, is metallized, and thus, metal wires arranged at a small pitch are prepared, and the obtained wires are fixed by a dielectric material.

Abstract: This polarizer is a polarizer having a wire grid structure that includes a transparent substrate, a dielectric film which extends across one surface of the transparent substrate and has a lower refractive index than the transparent substrate, and a plurality of projections which extend in a first direction on top of the dielectric film and are arrayed periodically at a pitch that is shorter than the wavelength of the light in the used light region, wherein the transparent substrate has a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m·K but not more than 40 W/m·K, the plurality of projections each have, in order from the side closer to the dielectric film, a first dielectric layer, a reflective layer and a functional layer, the reflective layer contains a metal or a metal compound, and the functional layer is formed from a material different from the reflective layer.

Abstract: A polarizing plate includes a substrate and a plurality of projections which protrude with respect to the substrate, in which the plurality of projections are formed by periodically arraying projections extending in a first direction in plan view, each of the projections includes a reflective layer and a tip end portion, the tip end portion is arranged at a position further away from the substrate than the reflective layer, the tip end portion is continuously widened from a first end portion, which is a tip end, to a second end portion on a side close to the substrate in a first cut plane perpendicular to the substrate and the first direction, and a first surface of the tip end portion includes a continuous first curved surface.

Abstract: Provided are a polarizing plate having excellent optical properties and durability, and a method for manufacturing the polarizing plate. The polarizing plate includes: a transparent substrate transparent to light in a used wavelength band; lattice-shaped protrusions arranged on the transparent substrate at a pitch shorter than the wavelength of light in the used wavelength band, extending in a predetermined direction, and having a reflective layer, a first dielectric layer, an absorbing layer, and a second dielectric layer in this order; a dielectric portion consisting of a dielectric discontinuously formed on a surface of the lattice-shaped protrusions and a surface of a bottom floor between the lattice-shaped protrusions; and a water-repellent portion formed on a surface of the dielectric portion and having water-repellent properties.

Abstract: Provided are a polarizing plate having excellent optical characteristics, and a method for manufacturing the polarizing plate. The present invention is provided with: a translucent substrate through which light passes in a working band; a bundle structure layer constituted of a columnar sheaf comprising one or more material from among dielectrics, metals, and semiconductors, the bundle structure layer being formed on the translucent substrate; an absorption layer formed on the bundle structure layer; a dielectric layer formed on the absorption layer; and a reflection layer formed on the dielectric layer and arranged as a one-dimensional lattice at a pitch that is smaller than the wavelength of the light in the working band. Because the bundle structure layer increases light absorption and light scattering, the result is that reflectivity can be reduced and excellent optical characteristics obtained.

Abstract: Provided are a thin film for optical element as a single-layer thin film which contains a Si simple substance, a Si compound excluding Si alloy, and a metal or metal compound, a method of manufacturing the thin film for optical element, and an optical element including the thin film for optical element. Further provided are an inorganic polarizing plate including a reflection suppressing layer composed of the thin film for optical element, a method of manufacturing the inorganic polarizing plate, and an optical device including the inorganic polarizing plate.

Abstract: There is provided a method to manufacture a diffuser plate with better productivity and exhibiting an excellent diffusion property and having excellent durability with respect to light having large coherence, the microlens array diffuser plate including: a microlens group positioned on a surface of a transparent substrate. The diffuser plate includes two or more unit cells that are continuously set in array, the unit cell includes a plurality of microlenses positioned on the surface of the transparent substrate, and ridge lines between the microlenses adjacent to each other are nonparallel to each other, and are nonparallel to the transparent substrate.

Abstract: A polarizing plate having excellent optical properties includes: a transparent substrate that is transparent to light in a used wavelength band; grid-shaped protrusions arranged on the transparent substrate at a pitch shorter than the wavelength of light in the used band, extending in a predetermined direction, and has a reflective layer and a reflection control layer; and a groove which is recessed between the grid-shaped protrusions and whose width in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction is reduced to zero in the depth direction. This improves transmittance and reflectance properties, thereby achieving excellent optical properties.

Abstract: There is provided a method to manufacture a diffuser plate with better productivity and exhibiting an excellent diffusion property and having excellent durability with respect to light having large coherence, the microlens array diffuser plate including: a microlens group positioned on a surface of a transparent substrate. The diffuser plate includes two or more unit cells that are continuously set in array, the unit cell includes a plurality of microlenses positioned on the surface of the transparent substrate, and ridge lines between the microlenses adjacent to each other are nonparallel to each other, and are nonparallel to the transparent substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a polarizing plate that is a polarizing plate having a wire grid structure, and includes a transparent substrate and a plurality of protrusions that extend in a first direction on the transparent substrate and are periodically arranged at a pitch shorter than a wavelength of light in a use band. Each of the protrusions includes a reflective layer, a multilayer film, and an optical property improving layer located between the reflective layer and the multilayer film. The optical property improving layer contains an oxide that contains a constituent element of which the reflective layer is composed. An etching rate of the optical property improving layer with respect to a chlorine-based gas is no less than 6.7 times and no more than 15 times an etching rate of the multilayer film.

Abstract: A polarizing plate includes a substrate and a plurality of projections which protrude with respect to the substrate, in which the plurality of projections are formed by periodically arraying projections extending in a first direction in plan view, each of the projections includes a reflective layer and a tip end portion, the tip end portion is arranged at a position further away from the substrate than the reflective layer, the tip end portion is continuously widened from a first end portion, which is a tip end, to a second end portion on a side close to the substrate in a first cut plane perpendicular to the substrate and the first direction, and a first surface of the tip end portion includes a continuous first curved surface.

Abstract: Provided are: a polarizing plate having high transmittance characteristics and suppressed reflected light, and a manufacturing method thereof; and an optical device provided with said polarizing plate. A polarizing plate (100) having a wire grid structure comprises: a transparent substrate (1); and grid-like projection portions (20) arranged on the transparent substrate at a pitch shorter than the wavelength of light in a used bandwidth and extending in a predetermined direction. The grid-like projection portions (20) each have a reflective layer (3) and a dielectric layer (4) in order from the transparent substrate (1) side, wherein when viewed from the predetermined direction, the reflective layer (3) has at least one step on the side thereof and has the largest bottom width on the transparent substrate (1) side.

Abstract: Provided is a depolarizing plate having a superior degree of depolarization to conventional depolarizing plates. The depolarizing plate includes a light-transmitting substrate having a surface layer portion in which a fine pattern is provided that includes a plurality of curved lines randomly disposed at a pitch of no greater than a wavelength of light, and that exhibits structural birefringence.

Abstract: To provide a polarizing plate and an optical apparatus capable of improving durability while maintaining excellent optical characteristics. Provided is a polarizing plate 1 with a wire grid structure, including: a transparent substrate 10; and a grid-shaped convex portion 11 which is arranged on the transparent substrate 10 at a pitch P shorter than a wavelength of light of a use band, extends in a predetermined direction, and includes a reflection layer 12 formed of a light reflective material, wherein a surface of the grid-shaped convex portion 11 and a surface of a bottom surface portion of a groove formed between the grid-shaped convex portions 11 are provided with a protection film 20 which covers the surfaces thereof and the protection film 20 is formed by two kinds or more of protection films including an organic film formed of an organic material.

Abstract: Provided are a pattern formation method and a method for manufacturing a polarizing plate using the pattern formation method, the pattern formation method having: a step for forming, on a substrate, a linear guide pattern which is arranged at a predetermined pitch and is compatible with a portion of block chains of a block copolymer, and a neutral pattern embedded in the pattern of the guide pattern; a step for forming a layer including a block copolymer on the guide pattern and the neutral pattern; a step for heat-treating the layer including the block copolymer and forming a lamellar structure in which lamellar boundaries are arranged perpendicular to the substrate by microphase separation of the block copolymer; and a step for selectively removing a portion of the block chains of the block copolymer and thereby forming a line-and-space-shaped fine pattern having a smaller pitch than the guide pattern.

Abstract: A polarizing plate having a desired extinction ratio in a visible light region and light resistance against intense light, and a liquid crystal projector using the above polarizing plate are provided. A polarizing element includes a substrate transparent to visible light, and inorganic particle layers in each of which inorganic particles are linearly disposed, the inorganic particle layers being disposed on the substrate at predetermined intervals to form a wire grid structure, the inorganic particles each have an elliptical shape having a major axis of the inorganic particles in the disposed direction and minor axis in a direction perpendicular thereto.