| 摘要 |
PURPOSE: To provide a liquid crystal optical element which can be produced in an easy process and has high mechanical strength so that it does not cause disturbance in a display by pressure or the like, and to provide its production method. CONSTITUTION: This optical element is a double refraction type liquid crystal optical element in which a liquid crystal layer 3 consists of a continuous liquid crystal material 4, a spacer 5 to keep the distance between substrates constant, and islands 6 of a columnar hardened non-liquid crystal polymer material which is in contact with the substrate 1 in an area of average 2-50μm diameter L. The number N of the islands 6 per 1mm<2> satisfies 2.5×10<4> <=NL<2> <=2.5×10<5> . The liquid crystal material 4, the nonliquid crystal polymer material, and the spacer 5 are dissolved or dispersed in a common solvent to prepare a coating liquid, which is then applied on a substrate 1 having electrodes. After the solvent is vaporized, a counter substrate 1 is laminated and the laminated body is heated so that the non-liquid crystal polymer material phase is separated from the liquid crystal material 4 phase and grown into columns to form the islands 6 on each substrate 1. Then the non-liquid crystal polymer material is hardened to obtain the element. |
