Optical element and lighting device including the optical element

Abstract

An optical element includes a first liquid crystal cell, a second liquid crystal cell, a third liquid crystal cell, and a fourth liquid crystal cell arranged in this order to overlap one another. Each of the first liquid crystal cell, the second liquid crystal cell, the third liquid crystal cell, and the fourth liquid crystal cell includes a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a stripe form and extending in a first extending direction, a first orientation film over the plurality of first electrodes, a liquid crystal layer over the first orientation film, a second orientation film over the liquid crystal layer, and a plurality of second electrodes located over the second orientation film, arranged in a stripe form, and extending in a second extending direction intersecting the first extending direction. More detailed structures will be explained in the specification.