Abstract: A viewing angle control system is provided that selectively switches between a light-shielding mode and a transmission mode when an image is viewed from an oblique direction at a predetermined azimuth angle, such that image visibility is reduced in the light-shielding mode and enhanced in the transmission mode. The viewing angle control system includes, in order, a light-absorbing anisotropic layer, a liquid crystal cell, and a polarizer. An angle formed between a transmittance central axis of the light-absorbing anisotropic layer and a normal line of the light-absorbing anisotropic layer is 0° to 45°. An optical compensation layer is provided between the light-absorbing anisotropic layer and the liquid crystal cell and/or between the liquid crystal cell and the polarizer. The system excludes any additional light-absorbing anisotropic layers or polarizers between the light-absorbing anisotropic layer and the polarizer.

Abstract: An optical member suitable for use in a head-mounted display that permits visual recognition of a background is provided. The optical member includes an optical film having a polarization control layer and an optical absorption anisotropic layer, and a light guide plate disposed on a side of the optical film on which the polarization control layer is provided. The light guide plate includes a diffraction element having a diffraction efficiency that varies with polarization direction. An angle between a transmittance central axis of the optical absorption anisotropic layer and a normal direction of the optical absorption anisotropic layer is from 0 degrees to 45 degrees. The polarization control layer is a quarter-wave film, and, in a use configuration, an angle between a slow axis of the quarter-wave film and a horizontal direction is from 0 degrees to 20 degrees.

Abstract: A viewing angle control system is used in combination with a high-definition image display device and sufficiently shields light emitted in a direction oblique to a normal direction of a film. The viewing angle control system includes at least a first polarizer, a retardation layer, and a second polarizer in this order, where an absorption axis of the first polarizer forms an angle of 45° or greater with respect to a surface, the retardation layer satisfies Expression (1): an in-plane retardation Re of the retardation layer satisfies an expression of 80 nm<Re<250 nm, and Expression (2): in a case of Nz=Rth/Re+0.5, an expression of 1.5<Nz<6 or ?5<Nz<?0.5 is satisfied, where Rth represents a retardation of the retardation layer in a thickness direction, and the second polarizer has an absorption axis in an in-plane direction.

Abstract: A viewing angle control system includes sequentially: a first polarizer, a first optical compensation layer, a first TN-mode liquid crystal cell, a second polarizer, a second TN-mode liquid crystal cell, a second optical compensation layer, and a third polarizer. The first and second optical compensation layers each exhibit minimum retardation in a tilted direction rather than in a normal direction. The system provides high brightness in a front direction and low brightness in an oblique direction at a specific azimuthal angle when applied to a light source.

Abstract: A light absorption anisotropic layer which has high contrast and can suppress hue change of an image reflected by surroundings relative to an original image when used in a viewing angle control system, an optical film using the light absorption anisotropic layer, a viewing angle control system, and an image display device. The light absorption anisotropic layer is formed of a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystalline compound, a dichroic substance, and an alignment agent. The liquid crystalline compound is in a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase, a content of the dichroic substance is 5.0% by mass or more with respect to a total solid content mass of the liquid crystal composition, and an angle ? between a transmittance central axis of the light absorption anisotropic layer and a normal direction of a surface of the light absorption anisotropic layer is between 0° and 45°.

Abstract: An optical laminate having the highest luminance in the vicinity of a front direction and having a luminance that is asymmetrical in a direction tilted from the front direction in a case where the optical laminate is applied to a light source, and an image display apparatus. The optical laminate includes a first light absorption anisotropic layer, a first retardation layer or a first liquid crystal cell, a second light absorption anisotropic layer, a second retardation layer or a second liquid crystal cell, and a third light absorption anisotropic layer in this order. Accordingly, various requirements are satisfied.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laminate where, as a member of a liquid crystal display device, a viewing angle of the device can be controlled, and has excellent light shielding and resistance properties. The laminate includes, in the following order, a first light absorption anisotropic layer, a first polarizer, a first liquid crystal cell, a second polarizer, a second liquid crystal cell, and a second light absorption anisotropic layer, in which an absorption axis of the first polarizer to the second polarizer is orthogonal, the first and second light absorption anisotropic layer contain a dichroic substance, an angle ?1 between a transmittance central axis and a normal direction of a surface of the first light absorption anisotropic layer is 0° to 45°, and an angle ?2 between a transmittance central axis and a normal direction of a surface of the second light absorption anisotropic layer is 0° to 45°.

Abstract: An optical film that, when being used in an image display device, it is possible to suppress a change in redness with respect to an original image in images reflected in surroundings, a manufacturing method of a light absorption anisotropic layer, and an image display device. The optical film includes a light absorption anisotropic layer which contains a liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, in which an angle ? between a transmittance central axis of the light absorption anisotropic layer and a normal direction of a surface of the light absorption anisotropic layer is 0° or more and 45° or less, and a haze value of the optical film is more than 1% and 20% or less.

Abstract: Provided is an optical element that can display a clear image having no blurriness in AR glasses or the like. The optical element includes: a substrate; and a laminate that is provided on the substrate and where a plurality of liquid crystal layers obtained by aligning a liquid crystal compound are laminated, in which the liquid crystal layers have a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction, and in at least one of the liquid crystal layers, an arithmetic mean value of differences between maximum film thicknesses and minimum film thicknesses obtained by observing 10 cross-sections with a scanning electron microscope is 0.1 ?m or less.

Abstract: An optical element includes a light guide plate, an incidence portion, and an emission portion, in which the incidence/emission portion includes an ?1 diffraction element having a diffraction period ?1, an ?2 diffraction element having a diffraction period ?2, and an ?3 diffraction element having a diffraction period ?3, “?1:?2:?3=1:1?2±0.015:1/2±0.015” is satisfied, an angle between periodic directions of the ?1 diffraction element and the ?2 diffraction element and an angle between periodic directions of the ?2 diffraction element and the ?3 diffraction element is 45° or 135° (±0.5°), and an angle between the periodic directions of the ?2 diffraction elements in the incidence portion and the emission portion is any one of 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270° (±0.5°).

Abstract: An optical laminate and an image display device that can suppress tinting of a display screen when being used in an image display device having a viewing angle switching function. The optical laminate includes in the following order, a first light absorption anisotropic layer; a liquid crystal cell; and a second light absorption anisotropic layer, in which at least one of the first or second light absorption anisotropic layers is a specific light absorption anisotropic layer satisfying all of the following requirements 1: contain a dichroic substance, 2: an angle between a transmittance central axis of a light absorption anisotropic layer and a normal direction of a surface of a light absorption anisotropic layer is 0° or more and 40° or less and 3: a difference in alignment degrees of a light absorption anisotropic layer at wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm, and 650 nm is 0.025 or less.

Abstract: A light absorption anisotropic film that, in a case of being applied to an image display device, it is possible to suppress redness of an image originating from the image display device, which is reflected on surrounding members arranged around the image display device; and an optical film and an image display device. The light absorption anisotropic film is formed of a composition containing a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic substance, in which the light absorption anisotropic film has two main surfaces facing each other, an angle between a normal direction of the main surface of the light absorption anisotropic film and a transmittance central axis of the light absorption anisotropic film is 0° to 45°, and predetermined requirements are satisfied depending on the angle.

Abstract: An optical laminate having excellent light transmitting properties is used for an image display device, includes in order: a first light absorption anisotropic layer; first and second retardation layers; and a second light absorption anisotropic layer, in which the first and second retardation layers are ?/2 wavelength plates, an angle formed between a slow axis of the first and second retardation layers is within a range of 45°±10°, the first and the second light absorption anisotropic layers contain a dichroic substance, an angle formed between a transmittance central axis of the first light absorption anisotropic layer and a normal direction of a surface thereof is 0° or more and 45° or less, and an angle formed between a transmittance central axis of the second light absorption anisotropic layer and a normal direction of a surface thereof is 0° or more and 45° or less.

Abstract: Provided is a polarizing element which has an excellent antireflection function as being applied to an image display device; and a circularly polarizing plate and an image display device, each of which has the polarizing element. The polarizing element has an alignment film and an anisotropic light-absorbing film formed using a dichroic substance, in which a degree S of alignment of the anisotropic light-absorbing film is 0.92 or more, and an average refractive index nave at a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm of the alignment film is 1.55 to 2.0.

Abstract: Provided are a method of forming a photo-alignment film having a large size that can appropriately align a liquid crystal compound can be formed and a method of forming a liquid crystal layer having a large size in which alignment defects of a liquid crystal compound can be suppressed.

Abstract: An organic EL display device capable of suppressing a change in tint in a case where white display is visually recognized from an oblique direction. The organic EL display device includes an organic EL display element and a light absorption anisotropic layer, in which the light absorption anisotropic layer is a light absorption anisotropic layer formed of a composition containing a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic substance, an angle between a transmittance central axis of the light absorption anisotropic layer and a normal line of a layer plane of the light absorption anisotropic layer is 0° or more and 450 or less, and A(?) of the light absorption anisotropic layer represented by Expression (1) A(?)={kz(?)?(kx(?)+ky(?))/2}×d, is 15 to 225 nm at a maximal absorption wavelength of the light absorption anisotropic layer.

Abstract: Provided are a backlight unit and a liquid crystal display device including the backlight unit, the backlight unit being capable of switching between viewing angles in the liquid crystal display device and having a configuration in which the brightness values of emitted light on the “+” side and the “?” side at a polar angle with respect to the normal line are symmetric to each other.

Abstract: An optical element includes a light guide plate, an incidence portion, and an emission portion, in which each of the incidence portion and the emission portion includes diffraction portions, the diffraction portion includes diffraction elements, the diffraction element includes a liquid crystal diffraction layer in which a direction of an optical axis of a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in one in-plane direction, and in a case where the direction in which the direction of the optical axis changes is set as an in-plane rotation direction and a length over which the optical axis rotates by 180° is set as an in-plane period, in-plane rotation directions of liquid crystal diffraction layers of incidence diffraction elements in at least two of a plurality of the incidence diffraction portions are different from each other.

Abstract: Provided is an optical laminate, an image display device, and a glass composite which are capable of sufficiently shielding light emitted in a direction oblique to a normal direction of a film without occurrence of moire even in a case of being used in a combination with a high-definition image display device. The optical laminate includes, in order, at least a first light absorption anisotropic layer, a refractive index anisotropic layer formed of a one or more layers that contain a liquid crystal compound having a twisted structure, and a second light absorption anisotropic layer, in which the first light absorption anisotropic layer and the second light absorption anisotropic layer contain an anisotropic absorbing material and each have an absorption axis that is aligned at an angle of 60° to 90° with respect to a film surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a A light absorption anisotropic film that, in a case of being applied to an image display device, it is possible to suppress redness of an image originating from the image display device, which is reflected on surrounding members arranged around the image display device; and an optical film and an image display device. The light absorption anisotropic film of the present invention is a light absorption anisotropic film is formed of a composition containing a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic substance, in which the light absorption anisotropic film has two main surfaces facing each other, an angle between a normal direction of the main surface of the light absorption anisotropic film and a transmittance central axis of the light absorption anisotropic film is 0° to 45°, and predetermined requirements are satisfied depending on the angle.