POLARIZING OPTICAL ELEMENT AND A DISPLAY DEVICE, ESPECIALLY CONTROLLING REFLECTANCE AND/OR TRANSMITTANCE ACCORDING TO A POLARIZATION STATE OF INCIDENT LIGHT

摘要

PURPOSE: A polarizing optical element and a display device including the same are provided to display images with high contrast by providing a thin film having excellent optical efficiency. CONSTITUTION: A first grating layer(2) includes a plurality of striped parts that extend in a predetermined direction. A second grating layer(3) includes a plurality of striped parts that extend in the predetermined direction. An average grating pitch of the first grating layer and an average grating pitch of the second grating layer are both set to be shorter than the wavelength of the incident light. The first grating layer is formed with a first material that exhibits a light reflecting property to the incident light. The second grating layer is formed with a second material that reduces the reflection of the incident light from the first grating layer.