Patent ID: 7995179
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: G02F

Abstract:
1. An electro-optical device comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate; an electro optic material layer that is held between the first substrate and the second substrate, the electro optic material layer selectively reflecting a first circularly polarized light having a first rotation direction and transmitting a second circularly polarized light having a second rotation direction that is reverse to the first rotation direction; a first polarizing portion provided on an outer surface of the first substrate for converting an illumination light into the second circularly polarized light having the second rotation direction; an illuminating device that irradiates the illumination light to an outer surface of the first substrate through the first polarizing portion; and a second polarizing portion provided on an outer surface of the second substrate for converting circularly polarized light from the electro optic material layer into linearly polarized light and transmitting elliptically polarized light from the electro optic material layer, wherein the electro optic material layer exhibits optical isotropy when no electric field is applied, and when an electric field is applied, exhibits optical anisotropy corresponding to the magnitude of the electric field.