Programmable waveguide devices and methods

A programmable waveguide device, comprising:

• a plurality of voltage-controllable liquid crystal elements formed as a grid having at least one input port for receiving an input polarized light beam and at least one output port to allow an output beam exit the programmable waveguide device;
• a plurality of electrodes, each associated with a corresponding voltage-controllable liquid crystal element and configured to receive a voltage from a voltage source within a predetermined range of voltage values;
• and
• a top and a bottom substrate, a pair of spacers arranged orthogonal to the top and the bottom substrates to maintain a fixed separation between the top and the bottom substrates, and at least one electronic control layer integrated with thin film transistors to control the plurality of electrodes, wherein:
• the liquid crystal elements exhibit a first index of refraction in an absence of the voltage and exhibit a different index of refraction upon application of the voltage, wherein the voltage-controllable liquid crystal elements are configurable to form a first set of regions with differing indices of refraction within the programmable waveguide device based on a first set of voltage values that are applied to the voltage-controllable liquid crystal elements, and to form a second set of regions, different from the first set of regions, within the programmable waveguide device with differing indices of refraction based on a second set of voltage values that are applied to the voltage-controllable liquid crystal elements.