  We study the angular deflection of the circular polarized components of a
linearly polarized probe field in a weakly birefringent atomic system in tripod
configuration. A spatially inhomogeneous control field incident obliquely onto
an atomic vapor cell facilitates a large angular divergence between circular
components. We show that the angular resolution can be dynamically controlled
by optimally choosing the angle of incidence and the transverse profile of the
control beam. For instance, by employing a Laguerre-Gaussian profile of the
control field, one can impart a large angular divergence to the circular
components close to the entry face of the atomic vapor cell. We further
demonstrate how such a medium causes the focusing and refocusing of the probe
field, thereby acting as a lens with multiple foci. The absorption in the
medium remains negligible at resonance due to electromagnetically induced
transparency (EIT).
