Abstract: An optical film includes at least one kind of humidity dependency improver that improves ?Re, wherein the optical film has a ratio of Re/Rth which is larger as a wavelength is longer in the visible wavelength region; and Re which is larger as a wavelength is longer in the visible wavelength region, wherein Re represents an in-plane retardation (unit: nm) of the optical film; Rth represents a retardation (unit: nm) in a thickness direction of the optical film; and ?Re represents a humidity dependency of Re defined by the following formula (1): ?Re=|Re(550)10%RH?Re(550)80%RH|,: ??Formula (1) wherein Re(550)10%RH represents Re at a wavelength of 550 nm, at a temperature of 25° C. and at a relative humidity of 10%; and Re(550)80%RH represents Re at a wavelength of 550 nm, at a temperature of 25° C. and at a relative humidity of 80%.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for variable shape mirrors, which is suitable for mass production, includes a bonding step for sandwiching support pillars and piezoelectric elements between a support substrate and a mirror substrate, and bonding at least the support substrate and the support pillar to each other, the support substrate and the piezoelectric element to each other, and the mirror substrate and the support pillars to each other, respectively, and an elastic film forming step for forming a flat elastic film on the outer surface of the mirror substrate, and a reflection film forming step for forming a reflection film on the elastic film.

Abstract: A variable shape mirror includes a support substrate, a mirror substrate that is opposed to the support substrate, a fixing member that is disposed on the support substrate and fixes the mirror substrate, and a piezoelectric element that is disposed on the support substrate and is expanded or contracted so that a reflection plane of the mirror substrate can be deformed. A coefficient of linear expansion of the fixing member is larger than a coefficient of linear expansion of the piezoelectric element. A back surface of the mirror substrate is provided with a metal bonding layer that is disposed in at least a portion to be bonded to the fixing member. The metal bonding layer enables the mirror substrate and the fixing member to be bonded to each other by pressing the mirror substrate and the fixing member to each other while they are heated. The mirror substrate and the piezoelectric element are not bonded to each other.

Abstract: A variable shape mirror includes a support substrate, a mirror substrate that is opposed to the support substrate, a fixing member that is disposed on the support substrate and fixes the mirror substrate, and a piezoelectric element that is disposed on the support substrate and is expanded or contracted so as to deform a reflection plane of the mirror substrate. A bonding layer for bonding the mirror substrate and the fixing member to each other is provided to the surface of the mirror substrate opposite to the surface on which the reflection plane is formed, and the bonding layer is formed in an area that corresponds to the outside of an incident area of a light beam that enters the reflection plane.

Abstract: A novel color filter to be employed in a liquid crystal display device is disclosed. The color filter comprises at least two colored sub-pixels in each pixel; at least one of the colored sub-pixels in each pixel comprises a retardation-controlling agent; and retardation is substantially different from each other between the two colored sub-pixels.

Abstract: An optical film having a value of 1.6 or more, wherein the value is obtained by dividing a larger value by a smaller value of the maximum X-ray diffraction intensity within a range 2?=10 to 40° in a longitudinal direction of the film and the maximum X-ray diffraction intensity within a range 2?=10 to 40° in a direction approximately vertical to the longitudinal direction of the film, and an optical film having a value of 1.3 or more, wherein the value is obtained by dividing a larger value by a smaller value of a tensile elastic modulus in a longitudinal direction of the film and a tensile elastic modulus in a direction approximately vertical to the longitudinal direction of the film.

Abstract: In a variable-shape mirror (1) of which the shape of the mirror surface can be varied, four piezoelectric elements (4) are sandwiched between a support base (2) and a mirror portion (3), and are arranged symmetrically in cross-shaped directions. The piezoelectric elements (4) are bonded to the mirror portion (3), and serve both to vary the shape of the mirror portion (3) by being driven and to fix the mirror portion (3) to the support base (2). Support portions (5) are arranged one inside each of the piezoelectric elements (4). With this structure, a small movement that the piezoelectric elements (4) produce when driven can be converted into a large movement of the mirror portion (3).

Abstract: A cellulose acylate film, which has a film thickness of from 20 to 70 ?m and an elastic modulus of from 3.5 to 10 GPa in at least one direction of a film casting direction and a width direction.

Abstract: An optical film, which has a photoelastic coefficient in a longitudinal direction and a photoelastic coefficient in a direction approximately orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, wherein a value obtained by dividing smaller one of the two photoelastic coefficients by greater one is 0.8 or below; an optical film, which has a value of 1.2 or above obtained by dividing greater one of a velocity of sound in a longitudinal direction and a velocity of sound in a direction approximately orthogonal to the longitudinal direction by smaller one; and an optical film, which has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion in a longitudinal direction and a coefficient of linear thermal expansion in a width direction approximately orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, wherein a value obtained by dividing smaller one of the two coefficients of linear thermal expansion by greater one is from 0.1 to 0.5.

Abstract: A cellulose acylate film comprising cellulose acylate which has a degree of crystallinity represented by the following expression (I) of 0.9 or more, and satisfies the following expressions (II) and (III): Degree of crystallinity=(X-ray diffraction intensity at 2? of 13°)/(X-ray diffraction intensity at 2? of 12°);??Equation (I) 2.6?A+B?3.0; and??Expression (II): 0.5?B?1.2??Expression (III): wherein A represents a substitution degree by an acetyl group of a hydroxyl group in a glucose unit of the cellulose acylate, and B represents a substitution degree by a substituent having from 3 to 4 carbon atoms of a hydroxyl group of a glucose unit of the cellulose acylate.

Abstract: An optical resin film, which has Re (?) and Rth (?) satisfying retardation requirements (A) to (D), and has an in-plane width direction retardation (Re) variation coefficient of 5% or less and a thickness direction retardation (Rth) variation coefficient of 10% or less: (A) 0.1<Re (450)/Re (550)<0.95 (B) 1.03<Re (650)/Re (550)<1.93 (C) 0.4<(Re/Rth (450))/(Re/Rth (550)))<0.95 (D) 1.05<(Re/Rth (650)/(Re/Rth (550))<1.9, and a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display device using the optical resin film.

Abstract: An optical pickup device has a variable-shape mirror that reflects a light beam emitted from a light source and that, by use of piezoelectric elements sandwiched between a support substrate and a mirror portion arranged to face the support substrate, corrects for wavefront aberrations in the light beam by deforming a mirror surface of the mirror portion, and converging means for directing, while condensing, the light beam reflected from the variable-shape mirror to a recording surface of an optical recording medium. Let a direction perpendicular to the travel direction of the light beam emitted from the light source be the X direction on the mirror surface and let the direction perpendicular to the X direction be the Y direction on the mirror surface, the mirror surface is inclined about the X direction such that the mirror surface forms a predetermined angle relative to the travel direction of the light bean emitted from the light source.

Abstract: An optical resin film, which has Re (?) and Rth (?) satisfying retardation requirements (A) to (D), and has a thickness of from 30 ?m to 80 ?m: (A) 0.1<Re (450)/Re (550)<0.95 (B) 1.03<Re (650)/Re (550)<1.93 (C) 0.4<(Re/Rth (450))/(Re/Rth (550)))<0.95 (D) 1.05<(Re/Rth (650)/(Re/Rth (550))<1.9, and a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display device using the optical resin film.

Abstract: An optical resin film is provided and fulfills the following formulae (A) to (D) concerning retardations and is formed by using a polymer or a copolymer of a cycloolefin compound: 0.1<Re(450)/Re(550)<0.95;??(A) 1.03<Re(650)/Re(550)<1.93;??(B) 0.4<(Re(450)/Rth(450)/Re(550)/Rth(550))<0.95; and??(C) 1.05<(Re(650)/Rth(650)/Re(550)/Rth(550))<1.9.

Abstract: A variable-shape mirror has a support substrate, a mirror portion that faces the support substrate and that has a mirror surface on the side thereof opposite to the side thereof facing the support substrate, a plurality of fixing portions that fix the mirror portion to the support substrate, and a plurality of driving portions that deform the mirror surface by expanding and contracting between the support substrate and the mirror portion. On the support substrate, elevations are formed to serve as bonding surfaces bonded to the fixing portions, as electrodes bonded to the driving portions to feed voltages thereto, and as conductors electrically connected to the electrodes.

Abstract: A variable-shape mirror is provided with: a support base; a mirror portion that is disposed to face the support base and that has, on a side thereof facing away from the support base, a mirror surface which is irradiated with a light beam; fixed portions that fix the mirror portion to the support base; and piezoelectric elements that are sandwiched between the support base and the mirror portion and that vary a shape of the mirror surface. Here, the piezoelectric elements are arranged closer to a center of the mirror portion than the fixed portions are.

Abstract: In a variable-shape mirror provided with a support base, a mirror portion that is disposed to face the support base and that has, on a side thereof facing away from the support base, a mirror surface which is irradiated with a light beam, and piezoelectric elements that are sandwiched between the support base and the mirror portion and that vary the shape of the mirror surface, the piezoelectric elements are bonded, by means of a thin layer of metal, to at least one of the support base and the mirror portion by the application of heat and pressure.

Abstract: In a variable-shape mirror (1) of which the shape of the mirror surface can be varied, four piezoelectric elements (4) are sandwiched between a support base (2) and a mirror portion (3), and are arranged symmetrically in cross-shaped directions. The piezoelectric elements (4) are bonded to the mirror portion (3), and serve both to vary the shape of the mirror portion (3) by being driven and to fix the mirror portion (3) to the support base (2). Support portions (5) are arranged one inside each of the piezoelectric elements (4). With this structure, a small movement that the piezoelectric elements (4) produce when driven can be converted into a large movement of the mirror portion (3).

Abstract: In a variable-shape mirror of which the shape of the mirror surface can be varied, a mirror portion is bonded only to a fixed portion and not to a piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric element is not operating, the mirror portion, receiving a predetermined force from the piezoelectric element, makes contact with the piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric element contracts, the mirror portion tends to restore its original shape by its counterforce. Thus, even when the piezoelectric element contracts, the contact between the mirror portion and the piezoelectric element is held, and hence the electric conduction to the piezoelectric element is maintained.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a multicolor image forming material for laser heat transfer comprising an image receiving sheet having an image receiving layer and at least four heat transfer sheets having different colors each comprising a substrate and a light-heat conversion layer and an image forming layer provided thereon, characterized in that (a) Ra and Rz showing the surface roughness of the image receiving sheet satisfy the following relationships 3?Rz/Ra?20 and 0.5 ?m?Rz?3 ?m.