  We describe here a method to generate high-definition arbitrary laser beam
shapes and profiles useful to many applications, ranging from optical
patterning and lithography to optical trapping of microscopic particles and
ultracold atoms. The phase contrast between a binary grating and a targeted
intensity distribution is encoded on a spatial light modulator to control light
diffraction, producing very sharp, speckles-free, and smooth images. Besides
simplicity, not requiring additional phase-plates, the method provides
straightforward encoding of images onto phase-only masks by a direct pixel
mapping, allowing simpler feedback schemes to correct and control light
distributions and optical potentials in real-time.
