OPTICAL ELEMENT FOR FORGERY PREVENTION

摘要

Provided is a highly versatile optical element which can be applied both as an optical element for use in the paper money field and an optical element for use in the ID field. In the optical element (1) pertaining to an embodiment of the present invention, a first layer (2) is disposed on a second layer (3) having a relief structure on the surface thereof, and the optical element (1) has a first region (4) and a second region (5). Electromagnetic waves incident at a specific angle from the first layer (2) side are totally reflected due to the relief structure of the first region (4) and/or the ratio of the refractive index of the second layer (3) to the refractive index of the first layer (2), electromagnetic waves incident at a specific angle from the first layer (2) side are transmitted or refracted without total reflection due to the relief structure of the second region (5) and/or the ratio of the refractive index of the second layer (3) to the refractive index of the first layer (2), and the transparency of the second region (5) is higher than that of the first region (4) and a pre-set image is expressed by the contrast in transparency only when viewed from a specific angle on the first layer (2) side.