Lighting device and optical element

A lighting device comprising:

• a light source comprising a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a matrix shape with m rows and n columns;
• a first liquid crystal cell over the light source;
• and
• a second liquid crystal cell over the first liquid crystal cell,
• wherein each of the first liquid crystal cell and the second liquid crystal cell comprises:
• a first substrate;
• a plurality of first electrode groups located over the first substrate and arranged in a matrix shape with m rows and n columns;
• a liquid crystal layer over the plurality of first electrode groups;
• and
• a second substrate over the liquid crystal layer,
• wherein, in each of the first liquid crystal cell and the second liquid crystal cell,
• each of the plurality of first electrode groups comprises a plurality of first electrodes extending in a row direction,
• the light-emitting elements in a jth row and a kth column overlap with one of the plurality of first electrode groups located in the jth row and the kth column,
• wherein longitudinal directions of the plurality of first electrodes of the first liquid crystal cell are parallel to longitudinal directions of the plurality of first electrodes of the second liquid crystal cell, and
• wherein n and m are each a natural number larger than 1, j is a variable selected from natural numbers equal to or larger than 1 and equal to or smaller than n, and k is a variable selected from natural numbers equal to or larger than 1 and equal to or smaller than m.