The optical performance of the reflective polarizer was investigated over three kinds of direct-lit backlights and/or different configurations of the optical sheets. The optical gain factor achieved by using the reflective polarizer increased as the diffuse nature of the optical sheet was enhanced, because of the more efficient polarization conversion. In addition, the gain factor decreased substantially in flat-lamp backlights compared to tubular-lamp backlights, which was ascribed to the high loss factor during the polarization recycling process due to the complex structure and large area of flat lamps. All these results suggested that reducing the loss factor of the backlight is very important for efficient polarization conversion and thus high optical gain of the reflective polarizer.

© 2009 Optical Society of Korea

1. J.-H. Ko, "Recent research trends in the development of new light sources for the backlight unit of liquid crystal display," Asian J. Phys. 14, 231-237 (2005)
2. J. H. Lee, Y. H. Ju, J.-H. Park, J.-Y. Lee, K.-B. Nahm, J.-H. Ko, and J. H. Kim, "Optical simulation study on the effect of reflecting properties of reflection films on the performances of collimating films for the LCD backlight applications," J. Information Display 9, 26-32 (2008)
3. M. F. Weber, C. A. Stover, L. R. Gilbert, T. J. Nevitt, and A. J. Ouderkirt, "Giant birefringent optics in multilayer polymer mirrors," Science 287, 2451-2456 (2000) [CrossRef]
4. M.-Y. Yu, J.-H. Park, and J.-H. Ko, "Study on the luminance properties of optical films for flat-lamp-based backlights," J. Opt. Soc. Korea 12, pp. 174-177 (2008) [CrossRef]
5. G. J. Park, T. S. Aum, D. H. Lee, J. H. Kwon, M. H. Lee, B. K. Jung, and H. S. Soh, "Enhancement of luminance and view angle by optimizing the structure of prism sheet and the diffusivity of reflective polarizer film," in Proc. IDW "06 Tech. Digest (Otsu Prince Hotel, Japan, Dec. 2006), pp. 953-956
6. J. Jeong, J. Kim, M. Shin, M. Lee, J. Chung, H. Jeong, J. Kim, J. Kang, B. Hong, and G. Cho, "Luminance normalization of optical sheets in a backlight unit for LCD-TVs," J. Korean Vac. Soc. 16, 424-243 (2007)
7. J.-H. Park and J.-H. Ko, "Optimization of the emitting structure of flat fluorescent lamps for LCD backlight applications," J. Opt. Soc. Korea 11, 118-123 (2007) [CrossRef]
8. M.-Y. Yu, Y.-Y. Kim, J.-H. Ko, S.-H. Yu, and S.-E. Lee, "Optical characteristics of direct-lit flat-lamp backlights for LCD applications," in Proc. IDW "08 Tech. Digest (Niigata Convention Center, Japan, 2008), pp. 1803-1806
9. G. R. Fowles, Introduction to Modern Optics, 2nd ed. (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, USA, 1975), pp. 38-45
10. P. Watson and G. T. Boyd, "Backlighting of mobile displays," in Mobile Displays, edited by A. K. Bhowmik, Z. Li, and P. J. Bos, (John Wiley & Sons, The Atrium, Chichester, UK, 2008), pp. 219-223

Asian J. Phys.

• J.-H. Ko, "Recent research trends in the development of new light sources for the backlight unit of liquid crystal display," Asian J. Phys. 14, 231-237 (2005)

in Proc. IDW '06 Tech. Digest

• G. J. Park, T. S. Aum, D. H. Lee, J. H. Kwon, M. H. Lee, B. K. Jung, and H. S. Soh, "Enhancement of luminance and view angle by optimizing the structure of prism sheet and the diffusivity of reflective polarizer film," in Proc. IDW "06 Tech. Digest (Otsu Prince Hotel, Japan, Dec. 2006), pp. 953-956

in Proc. IDW '08 Tech. Digest

• M.-Y. Yu, Y.-Y. Kim, J.-H. Ko, S.-H. Yu, and S.-E. Lee, "Optical characteristics of direct-lit flat-lamp backlights for LCD applications," in Proc. IDW "08 Tech. Digest (Niigata Convention Center, Japan, 2008), pp. 1803-1806

Journal of Information Display

• J. H. Lee, Y. H. Ju, J.-H. Park, J.-Y. Lee, K.-B. Nahm, J.-H. Ko, and J. H. Kim, "Optical simulation study on the effect of reflecting properties of reflection films on the performances of collimating films for the LCD backlight applications," J. Information Display 9, 26-32 (2008)

Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society

• J. Jeong, J. Kim, M. Shin, M. Lee, J. Chung, H. Jeong, J. Kim, J. Kang, B. Hong, and G. Cho, "Luminance normalization of optical sheets in a backlight unit for LCD-TVs," J. Korean Vac. Soc. 16, 424-243 (2007)

Journal of the Optical Society of Korea

• J.-H. Park and J.-H. Ko, "Optimization of the emitting structure of flat fluorescent lamps for LCD backlight applications," J. Opt. Soc. Korea 11, 118-123 (2007) [CrossRef]
• M.-Y. Yu, J.-H. Park, and J.-H. Ko, "Study on the luminance properties of optical films for flat-lamp-based backlights," J. Opt. Soc. Korea 12, pp. 174-177 (2008) [CrossRef]

Science

• M. F. Weber, C. A. Stover, L. R. Gilbert, T. J. Nevitt, and A. J. Ouderkirt, "Giant birefringent optics in multilayer polymer mirrors," Science 287, 2451-2456 (2000) [CrossRef]

Other

• G. R. Fowles, Introduction to Modern Optics, 2nd ed. (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, USA, 1975), pp. 38-45
• P. Watson and G. T. Boyd, "Backlighting of mobile displays," in Mobile Displays, edited by A. K. Bhowmik, Z. Li, and P. J. Bos, (John Wiley & Sons, The Atrium, Chichester, UK, 2008), pp. 219-223

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