Nippon Electric Glass Co., Ltd.

Takasi Akimoto

Masanori Wada

Hirokazu Tanaka

Masaaki Kadomi

Kiichi Ohkubo

Provided is a liquid crystal lens having low wavefront aberration. A liquid crystal lens () includes a liquid crystal layer (), a first electrode (), a second electrode (), and a third electrode (). The first electrode () is provided with an opening () and a communicating cutout () formed therein, the communicating cutout () allowing the opening () to communicate with the outside. The second electrode () includes a main electrode portion () and a linear leading electrode portion (). The main electrode portion () is disposed within the opening (). The main electrode portion () is electrically insulated from the first electrode (). The leading electrode portion () is electrically connected to the main electrode portion (). The leading electrode portion () is disposed within the communicating cutout (). The third electrode () faces at least part of the first and second electrodes (). A junction of the leading electrode portion () with the main electrode portion () has a width of 70 &#x3bc;m or less.

Liquid crystal lens and cell for liquid crystal lens

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid-crystal lens having excellent imaging performance. A liquid-crystal lens () according to the present invention includes a first liquid-crystal layer (), a second liquid-crystal layer (), a third liquid-crystal layer (), and a fourth liquid-crystal layer () which are arranged in this order along an optical axis (C). The first liquid-crystal layer () and the second liquid-crystal layer () are 90&#xb0; different in alignment direction from each other in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis (C). The first liquid-crystal layer () and the fourth liquid-crystal layer () are 180&#xb0; different in alignment direction from each other in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis (C). The second liquid-crystal layer () and the third liquid-crystal layer () are 180&#xb0; different in alignment direction from each other in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis (C).

Liquid-crystal lens and liquid-crystal lens-cell

Provided is a liquid crystal element in which the liquid crystal layer shows less thickness variation. A spacerincludes a first spacer, a second spacermade of resin, and a third spacemade of resin. The first spaceris formed of an annular glass or metal sheet in which an openingconstituting an interior spaceis formed. The second spacerhas a smaller thickness than the first spacer. The third spacerhas a smaller thickness than the first spacer. An openingconnected to the openingin the first spacerand constituting an inletis formed in at least one of the second and third spacers

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Nagahama, Japan

Takasi Akimoto