In a liquid-crystal display (10), unpolarized light from a light source
(12) passes through a linear polarization separation layer (14) and
strikes a liquid-crystal cell (16). The liquid-crystal cell (16),
in response to an applied electrical field, changes the direction of a director,
so as to change the direction of the electrical field oscillation vector of the
incident linearly polarized light by substantially 0 to 90, this light then
striking a dichroic linear polarization layer (18) on the surface, whereby
only a component coincident with the polarization transmission axis thereof is
allowed to exit to the outside. The dichroic linear polarization layer (18)
transmits 50% of this incident light, and absorbs the remaining 50%.
