Patent ID: 6985200

Claim:
A liquid crystal optical element comprising: a first substrate and a second substrate; a first liquid crystal layer, which is provided between the first and second substrates; a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, which are provided on the first and second substrates, respectively, so as to face each other with the first liquid crystal layer interposed between them; and a first switching layer and a second switching layer, which are provided between the first electrode layer and the first liquid crystal layer and between the second electrode layer and the first liquid crystal layer, respectively, and each of which includes molecules that change their orientation directions in response to a voltage applied between the first and second electrode layers, wherein the first liquid crystal layer changes its orientation state as the molecules included in the first and second switching layers change their orientation directions, and wherein each of the molecules included in one of the first and second switching layers and an associated one of the molecules included in the other switching layer behave as a pair of enantiomers.