An illumination device (100A-100F) for providing a divergent illumination using the Rayleigh or Rayleigh-like scattering regime, the illumination device (100A-100F) comprising: - a light source for emitting light in a visible spectrum; - an output aperture , through which the light emitted from the light source exits the illumination device (100A-100F); and - a layer structure comprising a scattering layer of a plurality of nanoscale scattering elements embedded in a host material and positioned in an optical path of the emitted light that extends between the light source and the output aperture , characterized in that the scattering layer is configured as a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer with liquid crystals embedded as the nanoscale scattering elements in a host polymer as the host material, wherein the liquid crystals form nanodroplets with a mean size in the range from about 10 nm to about 500 nm, are separated by the polymer , and have an anisotropy in the index of refraction, and in that the layer structure further comprises a pair of areal electrical contact layers , wherein the areal electrical contact layers extend at opposite sides of the scattering layer and are electrically connectable with a power source to generate an electric field across the scattering layer , and in that the divergent illumination is characterized by at least one luminous intensity distribution curve having a full width at half maximum of at least 30°. - a light source for emitting light in a visible spectrum; - an output aperture , through which the light emitted from the light source exits the illumination device (100A-100F); and - a layer structure comprising a scattering layer of a plurality of nanoscale scattering elements embedded in a host material and positioned in an optical path of the emitted light that extends between the light source and the output aperture , characterized in that the scattering layer is configured as a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer with liquid crystals embedded as the nanoscale scattering elements in a host polymer as the host material, wherein the liquid crystals form nanodroplets with a mean size in the range from about 10 nm to about 500 nm, are separated by the polymer , and have an anisotropy in the index of refraction, and in that the layer structure further comprises a pair of areal electrical contact layers , wherein the areal electrical contact layers extend at opposite sides of the scattering layer and are electrically connectable with a power source to generate an electric field across the scattering layer , and in that the divergent illumination is characterized by at least one luminous intensity distribution curve having a full width at half maximum of at least 30°. a scattering layer of a plurality of nanoscale scattering elements embedded in a host material and positioned in an optical path of the emitted light that extends between the light source and the output aperture , characterized in that the scattering layer is configured as a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer with liquid crystals embedded as the nanoscale scattering elements in a host polymer as the host material, wherein the liquid crystals form nanodroplets with a mean size in the range from about 10 nm to about 500 nm, are separated by the polymer , and have an anisotropy in the index of refraction, and in that the layer structure further comprises a pair of areal electrical contact layers , wherein the areal electrical contact layers extend at opposite sides of the scattering layer and are electrically connectable with a power source to generate an electric field across the scattering layer , and in that the divergent illumination is characterized by at least one luminous intensity distribution curve having a full width at half maximum of at least 30°. <EOS>