Patent ID: 7755728

Claim:
An optically anisotropic film (A) comprising a liquid crystal compound forming a nematic phase or smectic A phase, the liquid crystalline phase satisfying the following inequality (I): Δ n (450 nm)/Δ n (550 nm)<1.0 Inequality (I) in which each Δn (λ) represents an intrinsic birefringence at a wavelength of λ, wherein the optically anisotropic film (A) has an absolute in-plane retardation (Re) of 40 nm or less and a retardation in the thickness direction (Rth) of −10 nm or less, wherein the liquid crystal compound is represented by the following formula (II): wherein MG 1 and MG 2 independently represent a liquid crystal core for inducing formation of the liquid crystalline phase, and the liquid crystal core contains 2 to 8 cyclic groups each having an aromatic ring, aliphatic ring, or heterocycle, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are bonded to the liquid crystal cores in the major axis directions of the cores, and independently represent a flexible substituent, dipolar group, or hydrogen bonding group for inducing formation of the liquid crystalline phase, L 1 and L 2 are bonded to the cyclic groups of MG 1 and MG 2 to connect the cyclic groups, and independently represent a linking group represented by the following formula (II)-LA or (II)-LB: wherein each * represents a position bonded to the cyclic group of MG 1 or MG 2 , each # represents a position bonded to P, A 1 represents —O—, —NH—, —S—, —CH 2 —, —CO—, —SO—, or —SO 2 —, A 2 represents —CH═ or —N═, and A 3 and A 4 independently represent —O—, —NH—, —S—, —CH 2 —, —CO—, —SO—, or —SO 2 —, when L 1 and L 2 are both represented by the formula (II)-LA, P represents a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, a 1,4-phenylene group, and combinations thereof, when one of L 1 and L 2 is represented by the formula (II)-LB, P represents ***═CH—P 1 -## or ***═N—P 1 -##, in which *** represents a position bonded to the group represented by the formula (II)-LB and ## represents a position bonded to the group represented by the formula (II)-LA, when L 1 and L 2 are both represented by the formula (II)-LB, P represents a double bond, ═CH—P 1 —CH═, ═N—P 1 —CH═, or ═N—P 1 —N═, and P 1 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of —CH═CH—, —C≡C—, a 1,4-phenylene group, and combinations thereof.