Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a light absorption anisotropic film having a low haze value and a high alignment degree, and a laminate including the light absorption anisotropic film. The light absorption anisotropic film according to the embodiment of the present invention is a light absorption anisotropic film containing a dichroic substance, and a matrix consisting of all components other than the dichroic substance, in which at least one endothermic peak derived from the dichroic substance is observed by differential scanning calorimetry, and all of the endothermic peaks are endothermic peaks having an endothermic start temperature of 105° C. or higher.

Abstract: Provided is an optical film and an optical laminate that achieve an image display device capable of an antireflection effect of external light and improvement of utilization efficiency of light emitted by a light emitting element when applied to a self-emission type image display device formed of an inorganic EL element, an organic EL element, or the like. The optical film includes a light absorption anisotropic film consisting of a cured substance of a liquid crystal composition that contains a polymerizable liquid crystal compound and a dichroic coloring agent compound, in which the light absorption anisotropic film has, in the same film surface, regions A and B where an inclination of an absorption axis with respect to a film surface is ?A and ?B, respectively, and ?A and ?B satisfy relationships of Expressions (1) |?A??B|?10° and (2) 0°??B?5°.

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: An object of the present invention is to provide a light absorption anisotropic film having a curved surface portion, in which a variation in film thickness and occurrence of cracks are suppressed. A light absorption anisotropic film according to the present invention is a light absorption anisotropic film having a curved surface, in which the light absorption anisotropic film is a film obtained by fixing an alignment state of a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound, a dichroic substance, and a compound having a thiol group, and an angle ? between a transmittance central axis of the light absorption anisotropic film and a normal direction of a surface of the light absorption anisotropic film is 0° or more and 45° or less.

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: An optical laminate with excellent durability and an image display device formed of the optical laminate. The optical laminate includes a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 1, a specific laminate including a resin layer and a light absorption anisotropic layer, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 2 in order, in which the light absorption anisotropic layer contains a dichroic substance, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 1 is adjacent to the resin layer of the specific laminate, and a storage elastic modulus Ep of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 1 and a storage elastic modulus Ea and a moist heat strain ?a of the resin layer satisfy Expression (1-1) ¼(3×Ep/Ea)2/3>?a.

Abstract: A laminate including a light absorption anisotropic layer, in which flexibility is improved even in a case of being applied to a bending application. The laminate includes a protective layer, a light absorption anisotropic layer, an alignment film, and a bonding layer in this order, in which the light absorption anisotropic layer contains a dichroic substance, a liquid crystal compound, and a vertical alignment agent, 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 the bonding layer is a pressure sensitive adhesive layer or an adhesive layer.

Abstract: Provided is an optical laminate with excellent durability and an image display device formed of the optical laminate. The optical laminate includes a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 1, a specific laminate including a resin layer and a light absorption anisotropic layer which are adjacent to each other, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 2 in order, in which the light absorption anisotropic layer contains a dichroic substance, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 1 is adjacent to the resin layer of the specific laminate, and a storage elastic modulus Ep of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 1 and a storage elastic modulus Ea and a moist heat strain ?a of the resin layer satisfy Expression (1-1) ¼ (3×Ep/Ea)2/3>?a.

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: A method for producing a light absorption anisotropic film that includes a film forming step of producing an intermediate laminate having an optical coating film formed using a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, and an alignment film; a heating molding step of heating the intermediate laminate produced by the film forming step to impart one of a curved shape on a whole or a part of the intermediate laminate, or an irregular shape on one surface or both surfaces of the intermediate laminate; an aligning step of aligning a liquid crystalline component included in the optical coating film in the intermediate laminate imparted with one of the curved shape or the irregular shape by the heating molding step to produce a light absorption anisotropic film; and a curing step of curing the light absorption anisotropic film produced by the aligning step.

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: Provided is a method for producing a light absorption anisotropic film having a three-dimensional shape and having excellent alignment, which is capable of manufacturing a light absorption anisotropic film having a high degree of polarization even where a three-dimensional shape is provided by heating molding. The method includes a step of producing an intermediate laminate having an optical coating film formed using a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, and an alignment film; a step of heating the intermediate laminate produced by the film forming step to impart a three-dimensional shape; an aligning step of aligning a liquid crystalline component included in the optical coating film in the intermediate laminate imparted with the three-dimensional shape by the heating molding step to produce a light absorption anisotropic film; and a step of curing the light absorption anisotropic film produced by the aligning step.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a laminate capable of preparing an image display device having excellent display performance and excellent discoloration resistance, and an image display device formed of the laminate. The laminate of the present invention is a laminate including two substrates, and a polarizer layer disposed between the two substrates, in which the polarizer layer contains one or more kinds of azo coloring agents having two or more azo bonds in a molecule, moisture permeabilities of the two substrates are 10?3 g/m2·day or less, and a content of moisture present between the two substrates is 0.9 g/m2 or less.

Abstract: A lighting device that can switch between intensity distributions of emitted light with a simple configuration. The lighting device includes a light source, a polarization controller, and a polarizing plate, in which the polarization controller switches light emitted from the light source between light components having two or more different polarization states to be incident into the polarizing plate, and the polarizing plate functions as a diffraction grating that has two or more regions having different polarization states of transmitted light in an in-plane direction and where one or more regions among the regions are periodically disposed.

Abstract: An optical film, including a polarizing plate, and an image display device. The optical film includes, in the following order, a base material, an alignment film, and a liquid crystal layer, in which the alignment film contains at least one specific compound selected from the group consisting of a polymerizable macromolecule having a polymerizable group in a side chain and a polymer thereof, and a secondary ion intensity derived from the specific compound in the alignment film is measured by a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry while irradiating the alignment film with an ion beam from a surface on a liquid crystal layer side toward a surface on abase material side, a maximum value of the secondary ion intensity derived from the specific compound is present in a region from the surface of the base material to a 100 nm thickness position.

Abstract: A laminate including, in the following order: a first pressure sensitive adhesive layer; a plastic substrate; a photo-alignment layer; a light-absorbing anisotropic layer; a second pressure sensitive adhesive layer; an optically anisotropic layer, wherein the light-absorbing anisotropic layer contains an organic dichroic substance, a thickness of the light-absorbing anisotropic layer is 5 to 300 ?m, a thickness of the plastic substrate is 5 ?m or less, the first and second pressure sensitive adhesive layers are each a pressure sensitive adhesive layer at a closest position as viewed from the light-absorbing anisotropic layer in the laminate, and H represented by Expression (I) is 0.5 to 8.2, H=(thickness of the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer+thickness of the second pressure sensitive adhesive layer)/total thickness of layers on inner side than the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer and the second pressure sensitive adhesive layer Expression (I).

Abstract: A light absorption anisotropic layer in which, when combined with a ?/4 plate to form a circularly polarizing plate, applying the circularly polarizing plate to a display device, and displaying a display screen in black, coloration is suppressed and utilization efficiency of infrared light is high, a laminate including the light absorption anisotropic layer, a display device, an infrared light irradiation device, and an infrared light sensing device. The light absorption anisotropic layer contains an organic dichroic coloring agent, and satisfies expressions (1) to (4). (1) P(450)>99%, (2) P(550)>99%, (3) P(650)>99%, and (4) A(750)<0.2, here, P(450) represents a polarization degree at a wavelength of 450 nm, P(550) represents a polarization degree at a wavelength of 550 nm, P(650) represents a polarization degree at a wavelength of 650 nm, and A(750) represents an average absorbance at a wavelength of 750 nm.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a laminate which has excellent moisture-heat resistance and includes a light-absorbing anisotropic layer sandwiched between pressure sensitive adhesive layers; and an image display device using the same. The laminate includes a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, a light-absorbing anisotropic layer, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer in this order, in which the light-absorbing anisotropic layer contains an organic dichroic substance, a thickness of the light-absorbing anisotropic layer is 5 ?m or less, the pressure sensitive adhesive layer and the pressure sensitive adhesive layer are each a pressure sensitive adhesive layer at a closest position as viewed from the light-absorbing anisotropic layer in the laminate, and H represented by Expression (I) is 10.0 or less.