POLARIZED LIGHT CONVERTER AND ILLUMINATOR USING IT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a constitution by which a uniform illuminance distribution can be obtained with a high optical efficiency in a polarized light illuminator applied to a projection type display device. SOLUTION: A polarized light converter is arranged between a 1st lens board 11 and a 2nd lens board 15 corresponding to integrator. The polarized light converter separates each focused light flux of light of a light source obtained from each lens segment 11a of the 1st lens board 11 into different linearly polarized light through a polarized light separation prism board 12, and converts one of the linearly polarized light into the same polarized light as the other one through a λ/2-wave plate 13 for letting the two systems emit, however, a glass block 14 for correction is provided in a longer optical path. Since the glass block 14 for correction corrects an image formation position of the focused light flux and the focusing condition, and makes the focused light fluxes of the two systems incident on each lens segment 16a of the 2nd lens board 15 under the same condition, it is possible to accurately superpose each secondary light source image on an illumination area for forming an image.