A method and system for synthesizing controllable light beams includes a spatially modulated light source that generates electromagnetic radiation with a set of replicas of a predetermined symbol, s, positioned at desired positions (xs, ys) in an object plane o(x, y) intersecting, preferably perpendicular to, the direction of propagation of the electromagnetic radiation, and having spatial amplitudes a(x-xs, y-ys), spatial phases φ(x-xs, y-ys), and spatial polarisation vectors p(x-xs, y-ys), a Fourier transforming lens for Fourier transforming the electromagnetic radiation, a first spatial light modulator for phase shifting the transformed electromagnetic radiation with the phase −Φ(u, v) of S*, S* the complex conjugate of the transformed symbol, a Fourier transforming lens for Inverse Fourier transforming the spatially modulated radiation, a set of light beams are formed propagating through the inverse Fourier plane (x′, y′) at desired positions (x′s, y′s), and a controller for controlling the position of a replica of the symbol, for movement of the light beam.