Cholesteric liquid crystal layer, method of forming cholesteric liquid crystal layer, laminate, light guide element, and image display device

A laminate comprising:

• a plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers,
• wherein each cholesteric liquid crystal layer of the plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase, and has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction,
• in a cross-section of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer observed with a scanning electron microscope, bright portions and dark portions derived from the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase are tilted with respect to a main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and
• in a case where a length over which the direction of the optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound in the liquid crystal alignment pattern rotates by 180° is set as a single period Λ and a thickness of a coating film of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer is represented by dc, “dc/Λ>½” is satisfied, and
• wherein in the plurality of cholesteric liquid crystal layers, the single periods A as lengths over which the direction of the optical axis in the liquid crystal alignment pattern rotates by 180° in the one in-plane direction are different from each other.

A light guide element comprising:

• a light guide plate;
• and
• at least one of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer that is provided on the light guide plate,
• wherein the cholesteric liquid crystal layer is obtained by immobilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase,
• has a liquid crystal alignment pattern in which a direction of an optical axis derived from a liquid crystal compound changes while continuously rotating in at least one in-plane direction,
• in a cross-section of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer observed with a scanning electron microscope, bright portions and dark portions derived from the cholesteric liquid crystalline phase are tilted with respect to a main surface of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and
• in a case where a length over which the direction of the optical axis derived from the liquid crystal compound in the liquid crystal alignment pattern rotates by 180° is set as a single period Λ and a thickness of a coating film of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer is represented by dc, “dc/Λ>½” is satisfied.