An apparatus includes a reconfigurable spatial light modulator, a light source, and a transmission filter. The reconfigurable spatial light modulator is capable of producing spatially varying amplitude and/or phase modulations of an incident light wavefront. The light source is configured to direct an illumination light beam towards the reconfigurable spatial light modulator such that the modulator produces a modulated outgoing light beam there from. The transmission filter is configured to spatially filter a light pattern formed by the outgoing light beam and to selectively transmit light from substantially only one diffractive order of the light pattern.