Electro-optical device, electronic apparatus, and projector
In an electro-optical device, a first polarizing element, a first phase difference element, a transmissive liquid crystal panel, a second phase difference element, and a second polarizing element are sequentially arranged. Here, when a phase difference of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element is λ/4, an influence of orientation disorder of liquid crystal molecules can be alleviated, but a contrast ratio is reduced. Therefore, when a wavelength of incident light is λ, a phase difference R of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element satisfies the following condition that 0<R<λ/4, preferably λ/12<R<λ/6. For example, it is assumed that the phase difference R is λ/8.
1. An electro-optical device, comprising:
a first polarizing element;
a second polarizing element;
a liquid crystal panel being arranged between the first polarizing element and the second polarizing element;
a first phase difference element being arranged between the first polarizing element and the liquid crystal panel;
a second phase difference element being arranged between the liquid crystal panel and the second polarizing element; and
a phase difference compensation element being arranged inside the liquid crystal panel, wherein
each of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element provides a phase difference R that satisfies a condition 0<R<λ/4, where a wavelength of light incident on the liquid crystal panel is λ, wherein
the liquid crystal panel comprises a common electrode and a light-shielding layer, and the light-shielding layer is arranged between the phase difference compensation element and the common electrode.
2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
the phase difference R satisfies a condition λ/12<R<λ/6.
3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element provides the phase difference R of λ/8.
4. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
a slow axis of the first phase difference element and a slow axis of the second phase difference element are orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to each other.
5. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element is formed of an inorganic material.
6. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element is formed of an organic material.
7. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element is fixed to the liquid crystal panel.
8. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein
the phase difference compensation element is arranged between the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element.
9. The electro-optical device according to claim 8 , wherein
the liquid crystal panel includes:
a first substrate;
a second substrate;
a liquid crystal layer being arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate;
a lens array formed at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein
the phase difference compensation element is at a position in a light emission direction with respect to the lens array.
10. An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1 .
11. A projector, comprising:
a light source;
an electro-optical device configured to modulate light from the light source and generate an image;
a projection optical system configured to project the image generated by the electro-optical device; and
an optical path shifting element configured to shift a projection position of the image, wherein
the electro-optical device includes:
a first polarizing element;
a second polarizing element;
a liquid crystal panel being arranged between the first polarizing element and the second polarizing element;
a first phase difference element being arranged between the first polarizing element and the liquid crystal panel;
a second phase difference element being arranged between the liquid crystal panel and the second polarizing element; and
a phase difference compensation element being arranged inside the liquid crystal panel, wherein
a phase difference R provided by each of the first phase difference element and the second phase difference element satisfies a condition 0<R<λ/4, where a wavelength of light incident on the liquid crystal panel is λ, wherein
the liquid crystal panel comprises a common electrode and a light-shielding layer, and the light-shielding layer is arranged between the phase difference compensation element and the common electrode.