Light source device, lighting device and image display device

Abstract

A light source device includes an optical elementhaving a first faceopposed to a solid light emitting element. The optical elementincludes second and third facesopposing in parallel to each other and both substantially perpendicular to the first face, a fourth facesubstantially perpendicular to the second and third facesand also obliquely-opposed to the first faceand a fifth faceas an exit face. The fifth facehas an area smaller than an area of a light emitting face of the solid light emitting element. The light source device further includes a polarization converting elementhaving an incident surface opposing in substantially-parallel to the fifth facethrough a space, polarization separating elementsfor separating incident light from the optical elementin polarization, a first reflecting surfacefor reflecting one of polarization-separated fluxes and wave platesfor converting either of phases of the polarization-separated fluxes.