System for and method of projecting augmentation imagery in a head-mounted display

An optical system for introducing wave front changes, the system comprising:

• at least a liquid crystal cell;
• and
• at least a patterned electrode layer configured to generate a spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell, the at least a patterned electrode layer comprising a plurality of electrodes separated by gaps and arranged in at least an electrode pattern associated with at least a wavefront mode, wherein the at least a patterned electrode layer comprises:
• a first patterned electrode layer configured to generate a first spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell and comprising a first plurality of electrodes arranged in a first electrode pattern according to a first single orthonormal wavefront mode, wherein the first single orthonormal wavefront mode is an azimuthally asymmetric wavefront mode, and
• wherein the optical system is configured to produce a wavefront change associated with the at least a wavefront mode as a function of the spatially variable electrical field.