Nematic liquid crystal display device with multi-domain pixels and compensation with nc>na>nb

A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

• a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, the layer being made of a nematic liquid crystal material having a positive dielectric anisotropy;
• a first electrode and a second electrode provided on the first and second substrates, respectively, for applying an electric field substantially vertical to the first and second substrates across the liquid crystal layer;
• and
• a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate each provided on an outer side of respective one of the first and second substrates, the first and second polarizing plates being arranged in a crossed Nicols arrangement, wherein:
• the liquid crystal layer in each pixel region includes at least a first domain and a second domain in which liquid crystal molecules are oriented in different orientations;
• a first phase difference compensator having a positive refractive index anisotropy is provided between the first polarizing plate and the first substrate, and a second phase difference compensator having a positive refractive index anisotropy is provided between the second polarizing plate and the second substrate, so that phase-delay axes of the first and second phase difference compensators are parallel to a substrate surface and to each other, and substantially perpendicular to a phase-delay axis of the liquid crystal layer in the absence of an applied voltage;
• at least one third phase difference compensator is provided between the first polarizing plate and the first phase difference compensator or between the second polarizing plate and the second phase difference compensator;
• a refractive index ellipse of the third phase difference compensator has three main axes a, b and c, and refractive indexes of na, nb and nc along the main axes a, b and c, respectively, wherein a relationship nc>na>nb holds, with the main axis a and the main axis b lying in a plane parallel to the substrate surface, the main axis c being parallel to a direction normal to the substrate surface, and the main axis a being perpendicular to a polarization axis of one of the polarizing plates which is adjacent to the phase difference compensator;
• and
• the first, second and third phase difference compensators compensate for a refractive index anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer which are in a substantially horizontal orientation with respect to the substrate surface in the absence of an applied voltage.