Abstract: A stereoscopic image observation optical-element includes: a laminated member including a ?/4 phase-difference member and a polarizing member. The ?/4 phase-difference member is provided on a light incidence surface side and has a slow axis in a first direction, and the polarizing member is provided nearer to a light emission side than the ?/4 phase-difference member and has a transmission axis in a direction crossing the first direction at substantially 45 degrees. The laminated member has a curved shape projecting to the light incidence surface side, and the ?/4 phase-difference member is configured of a material having a photoelastic coefficient of less than about 80*10?12/Pa.

Abstract: An illumination system capable of varying the light emission intensity of illumination light while maintaining the color balance of the illumination light is provided. An additive process illumination system obtaining a specific color light by mixing a plurality of color lights, the illumination system may include a plurality of light sources each emitting a different color light; a lighting period varying means for varying the lighting period of each light source; a light emission intensity varying means for varying the light emission intensity of each light source; and a control means for controlling the lighting period varying means and the light emission intensity varying means to control the light emission amount of each light source.

Abstract: An optical sheet combination structure disposed between a polarizer and a surface emitting unit, includes a first optical sheet having a number of columnar cubic structures of curing resin arrayed on a transparent base, a valley portion between adjacent cubic structures contacting a surface of the transparent base, and a second optical sheet disposed nearer to the side of the polarizer than the first optical sheet, having a number of columnar cubit structures arrayed on a surface, and a refractive index of the cubic structures along an extension direction thereof being different from a refractive index of the cubic structures along an array direction thereof.

Abstract: A display unit capable of reducing luminance irregularity when using a point light source is provided. The display unit includes: a panel driven based on an image signal; a plurality of point light sources arranged in a region facing the panel; and an optical sheet arranged between the panel and the plurality of point light sources. The plurality of point light sources are arranged in a first direction and also in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, and the optical sheet has a tridimensional configuration that includes a first ridgeline extending in a third direction intersecting with the first and second directions, and a second ridgeline extending in a direction intersecting with the first, second and third directions.

Abstract: A light-transmissive film for use in display devices is provided. The light-transmissive film includes a plurality of first protrusions formed on one surface and extending in a predetermined direction of the one surface, and a plurality of second protrusions formed on an opposite surface to the one surface, extending in one direction of the opposite surface, arranged parallel to the one direction, and arranged parallel to a direction intersecting the one direction. At least one of the first and second protrusions has a refractive index anisotropy in a plane.

Abstract: A retardation film which is manufacturable by a simple process, and being capable of preventing a decline in light use efficiency is provided. A retardation film includes: a substrate having a plurality of grooves extending in a specific direction on a surface thereof; and a retardation layer arranged in contact with the surface of the substrate, and including a liquid crystal material, the liquid crystal material being aligned along the extending direction of the plurality of grooves and being polymerized.

Abstract: A phase difference element, in which imbalance hardly occurs between right and left pictures during displaying a three-dimensional image, and a display device having the phase difference element are provided. A base film 31 of the phase difference element 30 includes, for example, a thin resin film having optical anisotropy. A slow axis AX3 of the base film 31 points in a vertical or horizontal direction, and points in a direction intersecting with a slow axis AX1 of a right-eye region 32A of the phase difference element 30 and with a slow axis AX2 of a left-eye region 32B thereof. Thus, influence due to optical anisotropy of the base film 31 is exerted on each light being transmitted by the base film 31, so that the influence is not extremely greatly exerted on only one of light corresponding to a right eye and light corresponding to a left eye, the respective light being transmitted by the base film 31.

Abstract: A light-transmitting film that has a predetermined polarization split function, in addition to a light-collecting function is provided. The index of refraction nx in a prism extension direction and the index of refraction in a prism alignment direction differ from each other. By generating a difference in the indices of refraction in the prism extension direction and the prism alignment direction orthogonal thereto, for the light incident on the light-transmitting film, the polarization component Lx oscillating in the prism extension direction and the polarization component Ly oscillating in the prism alignment direction can have different transmission characteristics.

Abstract: A surface emitting device includes a light emitter, a polarizer having a transmission axis along which light emerging from the light emitter is transmitted, and an optical sheet combination disposed between the light emitter and the polarizer and composed of a plurality of optical sheets. Each of the plurality of optical sheets includes an emergent surface for causing the emergent light to emerge, a spatial structure continuously arrayed on the emergent surface, a first optical axis parallel to an extension direction of the spatial structure and having a first refractive index, and a second optical axis parallel to an array direction of the spatial structure and having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index, wherein the first or second optical axis of a smaller one of the first and second refractive indices extends almost parallel to the transmission axis of the polarizer.

Abstract: An optical sheet capable of eliminating rapid lowering of the luminance view angle while minimizing the lowering amount of the front luminance, or while avoiding the lowering of the front luminance is provided. The optical sheet includes a first light transmissive film and a second light transmissive film. The first light transmissive film and the second light transmissive film are layered on each other, the first light transmissive film has a plurality of first convexes that extend in a given direction and are arranged in parallel in a direction crossing the given direction in-plane on the second light transmissive film side, and the second light transmissive film has a plurality of second convexes that are arranged in parallel in one direction and are arranged in parallel in a direction crossing the one direction in-plane on the first light transmissive film side, and has shape anisotropy and refractive index anisotropy in-plane.

Abstract: A phase difference element, in which imbalance hardly occurs between right and left pictures during displaying a three-dimensional image, and a display device having the phase difference element are provided. A base film of the phase difference element includes, for example, a thin resin film having optical anisotropy. A slow axis of the base film points in a vertical or horizontal direction, and points in a direction intersecting with a slow axis of a right-eye region of the phase difference element and with a slow axis of a left-eye region thereof. Thus, influence due to optical anisotropy of the base film is exerted on each light being transmitted by the base film, so that the influence is not extremely greatly exerted on only one of light corresponding to a right eye and light corresponding to a left eye, the respective light being transmitted by the base film.

Abstract: To provide source images is increased to enhance the uniformity of luminance distribution. A surface emitting device includes: a diffusing sheet constituting a light exiting surface; a reflector disposed opposite to the diffusing sheet; light sources disposed between the diffusing sheet and the reflector; and a prism sheet (light-source-image division sheet) disposed between the diffusing sheet and the light sources. The prism sheet has linear protrusions on the front surface thereof, and a flat portion parallel to the sheet surface between the adjacent linear protrusions. This generates light-source images through the flat portions in addition to the divided light-source images through the linear protrusions 16a to increase the number of light-source images, thereby improving luminance uniformity.

Abstract: A light guide plate is provided. The light guide plate includes a light source hole part configured to accommodate a light source, the light source hole part provided at a back surface on the opposite side of a light emitting surface; and a recessed part provided on the side of said light emitting surface opposed to the light source hole part. The recessed part has, at the bottom portion of the recessed part, a slant surface inclined against the light emitting surface.

Abstract: Using a distance L between the centers of light sources 12, 12; a refractive index n of an optical element 15; a thickness d of the optical element; a distance W from the center of the light source to the optical element; a refractive index n0 of air; an angle of incidence ?1 of light emitted from the light sources and coming into the optical element, relative to the direction of optical axes; an angle of refraction ?2 of light, incident on the optical element, in the optical element; a diameter of each light source as D; and a maximum tangential angle a formed between a tangential line in contact with an outer surface of a luminance distribution generating layer 18 and a plane orthogonal to the optical axes, there is included a maximum tangential angle a satisfying x>L/2?D/2 when calculating a travel range x of a split image of the light sources in a direction normal to the optical axes using (1) n0 sin(a)=n sin(a??2), (2) n0 sin ?1=n sin ?2 and (3) x=W tan ?1+d tan ?2.

Abstract: A light-transmitting film that has a predetermined polarization split function, in addition to a light-collecting function is provided. The index of refraction nx in a prism extension direction and the index of refraction in a prism alignment direction differ from each other. By generating a difference in the indices of refraction in the prism extension direction and the prism alignment direction orthogonal thereto, for the light incident on the light-transmitting film, the polarization component Lx oscillating in the prism extension direction and the polarization component Ly oscillating in the prism alignment direction can have different transmission characteristics.

Abstract: A retardation element allowing a reduction in ghosts caused by optical anisotropy of a base film, and a display including the retardation element are provided. A retardation element includes: a base film having optical anisotropy; and a retardation layer formed on the base film and having optical anisotropy, in which the retardation layer includes retardation regions of two or more kinds of which slow axes are oriented in different directions from one another, the retardation regions of two or more kinds are arranged regularly adjacent to one another in an in-plane direction of the base film, and each of the retardation regions has a slow axis in a direction intersecting with a slow axis of the base film at an angle larger than 45°.

Abstract: A light-transmitting film that has a predetermined polarization split function, in addition to a light-collecting function is provided. The index of refraction nx in a prism extension direction and the index of refraction in a prism alignment direction differ from each other. By generating a difference in the indices of refraction in the prism extension direction and the prism alignment direction orthogonal thereto, for the light incident on the light-transmitting film, the polarization component Lx oscillating in the prism extension direction and the polarization component Ly oscillating in the prism alignment direction can have different transmission characteristics.

Abstract: A retardation film which is manufacturable by a simple process, and being capable of preventing a decline in light use efficiency is provided. A retardation film includes: a substrate having a plurality of grooves extending in a specific direction on a surface thereof; and a retardation layer arranged in contact with the surface of the substrate, and including a liquid crystal material, the liquid crystal material being aligned along the extending direction of the plurality of grooves and being polymerized.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a surface-emitting semiconductor laser having a structure in which the single horizontal mode of high power is stably maintained is provided. A scattering-loss-structure portion composed of a low refractive-index region is disposed around a main current path in a surface-emitting semiconductor laser, namely around a cavity structure portion; the low refractive-index region is disposed at intervals; and the shape of the tip portion opposing to the center portion is set to be a tapered shape, for example, at an acute angle. Accordingly, in the cavity structure portion, the loss of light-emitting laser of a high-order mode localized in the outer circumferential portion becomes large, so that a surface-emitting semiconductor laser that oscillates the single-mode laser with favorable performance is constructed.

Abstract: Using a distance L between the centers of light sources 12, 12; a refractive index n of an optical element 15; a thickness d of the optical element; a distance W from the center of the light source to the optical element; a refractive index n0 of air; an angle of incidence ?1 of light emitted from the light sources and coming into the optical element, relative to the direction of optical axes; an angle of refraction ?2 of light, incident on the optical element, in the optical element; a diameter of each light source as D; and a maximum tangential angle a formed between a tangential line in contact with an outer surface of a luminance distribution generating layer 18 and a plane orthogonal to the optical axes, there is included a maximum tangential angle a satisfying x>L/2?D/2 when calculating a travel range x of a split image of the light sources in a direction normal to the optical axes using (1) n0 sin(a)=n sin(a??2), (2) n0 sin ?1=n sin ?2 and (3) x=W tan ?1+d tan ?2.