Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical beam deflector, beam modulator and beam shaper using a Raman-Nath diffraction methodology generated by a plurality of writing laser beams focused onto a bulk optical material having anisotropic optical characteristics for deflection, modulation, and shaping of a beam of light incident to the diffraction grating. The writing laser beams are split from a turnable laser source and the choice of the desired operational characteristic, i.e. deflector, modulator, and shaper are chosen by selective manipulation of the source beam and the derived split beams.