Liquid crystal display device

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes: first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other; a pixel electrode and a common electrode on an inner surface of the first substrate, the pixel electrode and the common electrode generating a horizontal electric field; a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of chiral nematic liquid crystal molecules having a helical axis parallel to a z direction normal to the first substrate and driven by the horizontal electric field, and wherein refractive indices of the liquid crystal layer along x and y directions (n, n) perpendicular to the z direction are the same as each other and a refractive index of the liquid crystal layer along the z direction (n) is smaller than the refractive indices of the liquid crystal layer along the x and y directions (n<n=n); first and second polarizing plates over outer surface of the first and second substrates, respectively; and at least one positive C plate over one of the outer surfaces of the first and second substrates, wherein refractive indices of the at least one positive C plate along the x and y directions (n, n) are the same as each other and a refractive index of the positive C plate along the z direction (n) is greater than the refractive indices of the positive C plate along the x and y directions (n>n=n).