The invention has an object to provide an optical device which can
directly and efficiently introduce a planar incident light as it is and
can efficiently obtain a planar total reflected light on a desirable
interface without using a light guiding plate or an optical waveguide,
and is constituted by a reflector having no absorption without depending
on an incidence angle. The invention provides a planar optical device
characterized by such a feature that when an incident light is introduced
like a plane into the optical device, at least apart of the incident
light thus introduced is totally reflected by an interface of layers
constituting the optical device, while the incident light is not
substantially emitted from an opposite side to an incident light
introduction side.