Virtual image display device and optical unit

A virtual image display device, comprising:

• a display configured to emit circularly polarized video light;
• and
• an optical member configured to form a virtual image by reflecting and folding the video light twice, wherein
• the optical member includes:
• a lens member including one or more lenses,
• a transmissive reflection optical element provided to face a first optical surface of the lens member closer to the display,
• a reflective polarization optical element provided to face a second optical surface of the lens member farther from the display, and reflecting the video light that is linearly polarized light in a first polarization direction, and
• a waveplate element provided between the reflection optical element and the polarization optical element, formed of a photocrosslinkable polymer liquid crystal material, converting the video light passing through the reflection optical element into linearly polarized light in the first polarization direction, and converting the video light reflected by the reflection optical element and reciprocated to the waveplate element into linearly polarized light in a second polarization direction, and
• the waveplate element has an orientation of d±5° or less with respect to a gradient normal angle d of an optical surface on which the waveplate element is provided.