Optical element and lighting device including the optical element

An optical element comprising a first liquid crystal cell, a second liquid crystal cell, a third liquid crystal cell, and a fourth liquid crystal cell arranged in this order to overlap one another, each of the first liquid crystal cell, the second liquid crystal cell, the third liquid crystal cell, and the fourth liquid crystal cell comprising:

• a plurality of first electrodes arranged in a stripe form and extending in a first extending direction;
• a first orientation film over the plurality of first electrodes;
• a liquid crystal layer over the first orientation film;
• a second orientation film over the liquid crystal layer;
• and
• a plurality of second electrodes located over the second orientation film, arranged in a stripe form, and extending in a second extending direction intersecting the first extending direction,
• wherein, in each of the first liquid crystal cell, the second liquid crystal cell, the third liquid crystal cell, and the fourth liquid crystal cell, the first orientation film and the second orientation film are configured to respectively orient liquid crystal molecules included in the liquid crystal layer in a first orientation direction and a second orientation direction when no voltage is applied to the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes,
• wherein, in at least one of the first liquid crystal cell, the second liquid crystal cell, the third liquid crystal cell, and the fourth liquid crystal cell,
• an angle between the first extending direction and the first orientation direction is equal to or less than 10°, and
• an angle between the second extending direction and the second orientation direction is equal to or less than 10°, and
• wherein, in at least one of the other liquid crystal cells,
• an angle between the first extending direction and the first orientation direction is equal to or greater than 80° and equal to or less than 90°, and
• an angle between the second extending direction and the second orientation direction is equal to or greater than 80° and equal to or less than 90°.