A device includes a number of grating stages having a liquid crystal layer disposed between at least two substrates, where at least one is coated with a photo-alignment layer and transparent electrodes. Each grating stage may be switchably responsive to a voltage, with grating periods of each grating stage selected such that, when the voltage is applied to a grating stage and a laser beam is passed therethrough, optical energy from the laser beam in plus and minus first orders is deflected toward sides of the grating stage and optical energy from a zero order of the laser beam is allowed to pass through the grating stage. A polarization state of the laser beam may be maintained from an input through an output. Each grating stage may include a thickness selected to achromatize the laser beam through the grating stages.