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: 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: 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: Provided are an optical filter, an optical device, and a head-mounted display which have a high light transmittance in a front direction and a wide real field of view. The optical filter includes a first anisotropic absorption layer, a first retardation layer, and a second anisotropic absorption layer in this order, each of the first anisotropic absorption layer and the second anisotropic absorption layer contains a dichroic colorant, an absorption axis of the dichroic colorant is perpendicular to a main surface, and the first retardation layer has polar angle dependence of retardation that has asymmetry about a normal direction with respect to incident light hitting at least one incident surface including a normal of a layer surface of the first retardation layer.

Abstract: A light guide element includes: a light guide plate; and a diffraction element that is disposed on a main surface of the light guide plate, in which the diffraction element includes a liquid crystal layer that is formed of a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound and has 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, a refractive index of the light guide plate is 1.70 or higher, and in a case where the refractive index of the light guide plate is represented by nd and a refractive index of the liquid crystal layer is represented by nk, nk?nd?0 is satisfied.

Abstract: The present invention provides 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 a 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, an average refractive index nave at a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm of the alignment film is 1.55 or more and less than 1.78, an in-plane refractive index anisotropy ?n at a wavelength of 550 nm of the alignment film is less than 0.10.

Abstract: Provided is a viewing angle control polarizing plate that has asymmetric transmission characteristics, does not cause moire even in a case of being used in combination with a high-definition image display device, and is capable of easily following a curved surface and a viewing angle control system with high productivity. The viewing angle control system includes at least a first polarizer and an optically anisotropic layer, in which an absorption axis of the first polarizer forms an angle of 45° or greater with respect to an in-plane direction, and a main axis of a refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is tilted in the in-plane direction.

Abstract: Provided is a light absorption anisotropic layer including a dichroic substance, in which a transmittance as viewed from a front direction is high and a transmittance as viewed from an oblique direction can be lowered, a laminate, an optical film, an image display device, and a backlight module. The light absorption anisotropic layer includes a liquid crystalline compound and at least one dichroic substance, in which the dichroic substance is aligned perpendicular to the film surface, and an alignment degree of the light absorption anisotropic layer at a wavelength of 550 nm is 0.95 or more.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a laminate in which the coloring of reflected light is reduced. The laminate includes an optical film having a light absorption anisotropic film formed using a composition including a dichroic substance and having a transmittance of more than 50%, a ?/4 plate, and a metal electrode in this order, in which in a case where a degree (%) of polarization at a wavelength of ? of the optical film is defined as P(?) and a reflectance (%) at the wavelength of ? of the metal electrode is defined as R(?), a ratio of a minimum value of R/P to a maximum value of R/P at wavelengths of 450 nm, 550 nm, and 650 nm is more than 85%.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide 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 of an embodiment of the present invention 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: The present invention provides a polarizing plate including a polarizer having a high transmittance, which can be suitably applied to a circularly polarizing plate with which a significant decrease in an antireflection ability is suppressed in a case where the circularly polarizing plate is disposed on a display element; a circularly polarizing plate; and a display device. The polarizing plate includes a polarizer and an adjacent layer in contact with the polarizer, in which a transmittance in the absorption axis direction of the polarizer is 4.0% or more, and an in-plane average refractive index of the adjacent layer satisfies a relationship of Formula (X), Formula (X): Refractive index in a transmission axis direction of the polarizer<In-plane average refractive index of the adjacent layer<Refractive index in the absorption axis direction of the polarizer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polarizing plate having excellent appearance properties and including a polarizer, an optical rotatory layer, and a brightness enhancement film, a polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display device including the polarizing plate, are described. The method includes forming an optical rotatory layer, which has a film thickness of 1 to 10 ?m and rotates a polarization axis of linearly polarized light, on a temporary support to manufacture a temporary support with an optical rotatory layer; bonding the optical rotatory layer of the temporary support with an optical rotatory layer and polarizer through a curable adhesive layer, and curing the curable adhesive layer to form a first bonding layer having a storage elastic modulus of 2 to 1500 MPa; peeling off the temporary support from the laminate; and bonding the optical rotatory layer of the laminate and a brightness enhancement film through a second bonding layer.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device which is capable of suppressing reflected glare of a display screen on a windshield and the like, has excellent front contrast, and has excellent visibility of a display screen as viewed via polarized sunglasses. A liquid crystal display device includes, in order from a viewing side, a viewing side polarizer, a liquid crystal cell, a non-viewing side polarizer, and an anisotropic light absorption layer having an absorption axis in a thickness direction. The liquid crystal display device further includes at least one polarization control layer, in which the polarization control layer is arranged on a viewing side of the viewing side polarizer or on a non-viewing side of the non-viewing side polarizer.

Abstract: There is provided a polarizing plate including a first protective film, a polarizer, and a second protective film in this order, in which the first protective film is a film including a synthetic polymer, and has a thickness of 30 ?m or less, an elastic modulus in the TD direction of 2 GPa to 2.5 GPa, and a humidity dimensional change rate in a TD direction of 0.1% or less, and the second protective film has an evaluation value represented by the following Equation (2) of 7.0 to 11.0: Evaluation value=elastic modulus (GPa) of the second protective film in a TD direction/humidity dimensional change rate (%) of the second protective film in the TD direction×(thickness (?m) of the second protective film/thickness (?m) of the first protective film)2×(30/thickness (?m) of the polarizer)1/2 Equation (2).

Abstract: An optical film contains a cellulose ester and more than 30% by mass, relative to the cellulose ester, of a condensation product of at least one polyhydric alcohol having an average of 2.01 or more carbon atoms and at least one polybasic acid having an average of 4.10 or more carbon atoms, and at least one of the at least one polyhydric alcohol contains at least three carbon atoms bonded together without being interrupted by any other atom.