Architecture and designs of modulating both amplitude and phase at the same time in spatial light modulation are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, light propagation is controlled in two different directions (e.g., 0 and 45 degrees) to perform both amplitude modulation and phase modulation at the same time in liquid crystals. In one embodiment, a mask is used to form a pattern, where the pattern includes an array of alignment cells or embossed microstructures, a first group of the cells are aligned in the first direction and a second group of the cells are aligned in the second direction. Depending on applications, two cells from the first group and the second group may correspond to a single pixel or two neighboring pixels, resulting in amplitude modulation and phase modulation within the pixel or within an array of pixels.