An optically anisotropic layer wherein a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase, and a direction of maximum refractive index of said optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10° or smaller to the surface of said optically anisotropic layer,
- wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is a compound represented by the formula (II);
- L1-G1-D-Ar-D2-G2-L2 Formula (II):
- where,
- Ar represents a divalent aromatic ring group represented by the formulae (II-3) or (II-4) below;
- each of D1 and D2 independently represents —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —C(═S)O—, —O—C(═S)—, —CR1R2—, —CR1R2—CR3R4—, —O—CR1R2—, —CR1R2—O—, —CR1R2—O—CR3R4—, —CR1R2—O—CO—, —O—CO—CR1R2—, —CR1R2—O—CO—CR3R4—, —CR1R2—CO—O—CR3R4—, —NR1—CR2R3—, —CR1R2—NR3—, —CO—NR1—, or —NR1—CO—;
- each of R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, or C1-4 alkyl group;
- each of G1 and G2 independently represents a C5-8 divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group, a methylene group contained in the alicyclic hydrocarbon group may be substituted by —O—, —S—, —NH— or —N(R)—;
- each of L1 and L2 independently represents a monovalent organic group, and at least one selected from the group consisting of L1 and L2 represents a monovalent group having a polymerizable group,
- in the formula (II-3) and the formula (II-4), Ax represents an C2-30 organic group having at least one aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon ring and aromatic heterocycle, Ay represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-6 alkyl group which may have a substituent, or, a C2-30 organic group having at least one aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon ring and aromatic heterocycle;
- the aromatic ring contained in Ax and Ay may have a substituent;
- Ax and Ay may combine together to form a ring;
- each of Z1, Z2 and Z3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or substituent;
- and
- Q2 represents a hydrogen atom, or, C1-6 alkyl group which may have a substituent.