OPTICAL ELEMENT EXTRACTING CIRCULARLY POLARIZED LIGHT, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME, POLARIZED LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE AND LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical element extracting circularly polarized light which does not necessitate any adhesive or a releasing step and which comprises liquid crystal layers laminated so as not to generate an optical singular point. SOLUTION: The optical element extracting circularly polarized light 10 consists of first to third liquid crystal layers 12, 14, 16 and constructed in such a way that directions of directors of liquid crystal molecules 18 of the respective liquid crystal layers at the boundaries 13, 15 between the first and the second, and between the second and the third liquid crystal layers coincide.