An apparatus, comprising: a liquid crystal material (111, 11, 606) disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode opposite the first electrode, wherein molecules of the liquid crystal material assume a first orientation during a first state of the liquid crystal material and a second orientation during a second state of the liquid crystal material, and wherein the first orientation is different than the second orientation; and a controller coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the controller stores instructions that when executed by the controller causes the apparatus to perform operations including: applying a first periodic waveform to the first electrode and a second periodic waveform to the second electrode to generate a drive waveform applied across the liquid crystal material; and changing a duty cycle of the drive waveform over a first time period to transition the liquid crystal material between the first state and the second state; wherein the controller stores additional instructions that when executed by the controller causes the apparatus to perform further operations including: incrementally adjusting a relative phase difference between the first periodic waveform and the second periodic waveform from a first value to a second value to change the duty cycle of the drive waveform; and wherein the liquid crystal material exhibits the first state when the relative phase difference is the first value, and wherein the liquid crystal material exhibits the second state when the relative phase difference is the second value. a liquid crystal material (111, 11, 606) disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode opposite the first electrode, wherein molecules of the liquid crystal material assume a first orientation during a first state of the liquid crystal material and a second orientation during a second state of the liquid crystal material, and wherein the first orientation is different than the second orientation; and a controller coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the controller stores instructions that when executed by the controller causes the apparatus to perform operations including: applying a first periodic waveform to the first electrode and a second periodic waveform to the second electrode to generate a drive waveform applied across the liquid crystal material; and changing a duty cycle of the drive waveform over a first time period to transition the liquid crystal material between the first state and the second state; applying a first periodic waveform to the first electrode and a second periodic waveform to the second electrode to generate a drive waveform applied across the liquid crystal material; and changing a duty cycle of the drive waveform over a first time period to transition the liquid crystal material between the first state and the second state; wherein the controller stores additional instructions that when executed by the controller causes the apparatus to perform further operations including: incrementally adjusting a relative phase difference between the first periodic waveform and the second periodic waveform from a first value to a second value to change the duty cycle of the drive waveform; and wherein the liquid crystal material exhibits the first state when the relative phase difference is the first value, and wherein the liquid crystal material exhibits the second state when the relative phase difference is the second value. incrementally adjusting a relative phase difference between the first periodic waveform and the second periodic waveform from a first value to a second value to change the duty cycle of the drive waveform; and wherein the liquid crystal material exhibits the first state when the relative phase difference is the first value, and wherein the liquid crystal material exhibits the second state when the relative phase difference is the second value.