Polarized-light converting optical system, a polarized-light converting elemental device, a polarized-light converting elemental device array and a projection-type display device using any one of those components

摘要

A polarized-light converting elemental device which can produce an accurately unidirectionally and circularly polarized light with a minimized loss of light and a projection-type display device using said unidirectionally-polarized-light converting elemental device are provided. A polarized-light converting elemental device comprises a mirror glass portion consisting of an array of mirror glass blocks each having a first reflecting optical element and a second reflecting optical element and a cholesteric-liquid-crystal glass portion including a cholesteric liquid crystal layer for reflecting either clockwise circularly polarized component or anticlockwise circularly polarized component and transmitting the other.