DIFFRACTIVE SAFETY ELEMENT

摘要

A security element ( 2 ) comprising a plastic laminate ( 1 ) has a surface pattern which is composed mosaic-like at least from surface elements, wherein in the surface elements a reflecting interface ( 8 ) between a shaping layer ( 5 ) and a protective layer ( 6 ) of the plastic laminate ( 1 ) forms optically effective structures ( 9 ). Light ( 11 ) which is incident on the plastic laminate ( 1 ) and which passes through a cover layer ( 4 ) of the plastic laminate ( 1 ) and through the shaping layer ( 5 ) is deflected in a predetermined manner by means of the optically effective structures ( 9 ). Shaped in the surface of at least one of the surface elements is a diffraction structure which is produced by a superimposition of a linear asymmetrical diffraction grating ( 24 ) with a matt structure. The linear asymmetrical diffraction grating ( 24 ) has a spatial frequency from the range of values of between 50 lines/mm and 2,000 lines/mm. The matt structure has a mean roughness value from the range of between 20 nm and 2,000 nm and at least in one direction a correlation length of between 200 nm and 50,000 nm.