Retarder and circular polarizer

摘要

A retarder comprising a substrate having a longitudinal direction and a first and second optically anisotropic layers respectively formed of a composition comprising a rod-like liquid-crystalline compound, in which the rod-like molecules are aligned homogeneously. The first layer substantially generates a phase difference of pi at 550 nm, and the second layer substantially generates a phase difference of pi/2 at 550 nm. An in-plane slow axis of the first layer and the longitudinal direction cross substantially at +30 degrees, an in-plane slow axis of the second layer and the longitudinal direction cross substantially at -30 degrees, and the slow axis of the second layer and the slow axis of the first layer cross substantially at 60 degrees. A circular polarizer comprising the retarder and a linear polarizer film having a transparent axis inclined at 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal direction is also disclosed.