Method of producing anisotropic optical element

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of producing simply and precisely an anisotropic optical element having optical properties that are anisotropic with respect to a direction of a normal to an element plane. After forming an uncured film by applying flatwise a radiation-polymerizable cholesteric liquid crystal to a substrate (step), the film is heated to convert the cholesteric phase of the liquid crystal in the film into an isotropic phase (step). Thereafter, the isotropic phase of the liquid crystal in the film is converted into the cholesteric phase thereof, with a gas blown on the film from a predetermined direction (step). By doing so, the liquid crystal is oriented in such a manner that a mean direction of directions of helical axes (a main direction of helical axes) in liquid crystal domains in the film is tilted, relative to a direction of a normal to a film plane, along a stream of the gas blown. Lastly, the liquid crystal in the film is polymerized with the phase of the liquid crystal in the film maintained cholesteric (step). By this, the above-described state of orientation of the liquid crystal in the film is fixed as it is, and there is produced an anisotropic optical element having optical properties that are anisotropic with respect to the direction of the normal to the element plane.