Display device comprising a viewing angle switching element having a first linear polarizer, an optically anisotropic layer, a viewing angle control cell, and a second linear polarizer

A display device comprising:

• an image display panel;
• and
• a viewing angle switching element that is arranged on a display surface side of the image display panel and changes a viewing angle,
• wherein the viewing angle switching element includes a first linear polarizer, an optically anisotropic layer, a viewing angle control cell, and a second linear polarizer arranged in order from an image display panel side,
• an angle formed between transmission axes of the first linear polarizer and the second linear polarizer is 45°,
• the optically anisotropic layer has a function of changing an azimuth of a polarization axis of linearly polarized light emitted from the first linear polarizer to an azimuth forming an angle of 45° with the azimuth of the polarization axis and causing the light to be emitted toward the viewing angle control cell, and
• the viewing angle control cell is formed of a vertically aligned liquid crystal cell in which vertically aligned liquid crystals are tilted in one direction by voltage application, and an angle formed between a tilt azimuth of the vertically aligned liquid crystal of the viewing angle control cell and the transmission axis of the second linear polarizer is 45°.