Polarization device and projection type display apparatus

Abstract

A polarization device comprises: a light source; a first lens plate including a plurality of lenses in a planar configuration that divides light emitted from the light source into beams defined by apertures of the plurality of lenses; a second lens plate which is different from the first plate and includes a plurality of lenses in a planar configuration, the plurality of lenses of the first lens plate individually forming light spots at the plurality of lenses of the second lens plate; a polarization beam splitter array constituted of a plurality of polarization beam splitters provided continuously, that performs polarization splitting of light that has been emitted from the light spots of the plurality of lenses of the second lens plate and has entered therein to split the light into p-polarized light and s-polarized light, and emits the split light; and halfwave plates provided at an emission surface of the polarization beam splitter array that convert polarized light emitted from the polarization beam splitter array either from p-polarized light to s-polarized light or from s-polarized light to p-polarized light. And the halfwave plates are provided at the emission surface of the polarization beam splitter array, in different arrangements between a central area of the polarization beam splitter array and a peripheral area excluding the central area.