Complicated patterns of phase variation can be used to produce diffractive optical elements, such as dynamic virtual lenses, for beam focusing or splitting in addition to aiming.
Devices permitting detailed addressable phase control over two dimensions are a type of spatial light modulator (SLM).
An optical phased-array transmitter includes a light source (laser), power splitters, phase shifters, and an array of radiating elements.
In nanotechnology, phased-array optics refers to arrays of lasers or SLMs with addressable phase and amplitude elements smaller than a wavelength of light.
[8] While still theoretical, such high-resolution arrays would permit extremely realistic three-dimensional image display by dynamic holography with no unwanted orders of diffraction.