Patent ID: 8488070

Claim:
A polarizing element, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of protruded threads on one surface of the substrate, the plurality of protruded threads extending substantially parallel to one another in a first direction, each of the plurality of protruded threads having first and second side surfaces projecting from the one surface of the substrate to an upper end part of the protruded thread; and a plurality of metal thin wires respectively provided to the plurality of protruded threads and extending in the first direction, each of the plurality of metal thin wires including a first thin wire and a second thin wire, the first thin wire being provided to the first side surface of the protruded thread, the second thin wire being provided to the second side surface of the protruded thread, the first and the second thin wires being overlapped with one another at the upper end part of the protruded thread, wherein each first thin wire has a first volume, each second thin wire has a second volume, and each metal thin wire has a third volume which is the sum of the first and second volumes, and wherein the first volume is continuously decreased as a distance from one end of the substrate increases, the second volume is continuously increased as the distance from the one end of the substrate increases, and the third volume is maintained within a predetermined range.