An imaging apparatus for forming a virtual image (V1, V2), comprising: a planar waveguide having first and second plane-parallel surfaces; an in-coupling diffractive optic (IDO) arranged to direct image-bearing light beams (WI) into the waveguide ; and an out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) arranged to direct the image-bearing light beams (WO) from the waveguide toward an eyebox (74, E), wherein the waveguide is configured to propagate the image-bearing light beams (WI) from the in-coupling diffractive optic (IDO) to the out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) as a set of angularly related collimated beams, the out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) having a two-dimensional array of contiguous diffractive zones (Z), wherein each of the diffractive zones (Z)comprises a set of diffractive features, and the diffractive features in each set have a common orientation and a common pitch; a succession of the zones (Z) along a first dimension of the array having respective sets of diffractive features that progressively vary in pitch in a stepwise manner, wherein the sets of diffractive features in the successive zones (Z) along the first dimension are oriented in a common direction; a succession of the zones (Z) along a second dimension of the array having respective sets of diffractive features that progressively vary in orientation in a stepwise manner, wherein the pitch of the diffractive features is constant along the second dimension of the array; and wherein the successions of zones (Z) along the first and second dimensions of the array are configured to convert each of the collimated beams into a diverging beam that appears to emanate from a near focus spot on an opposite side of the planar waveguide as viewed within the eyebox (74, E). a planar waveguide having first and second plane-parallel surfaces; an in-coupling diffractive optic (IDO) arranged to direct image-bearing light beams (WI) into the waveguide ; and an out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) arranged to direct the image-bearing light beams (WO) from the waveguide toward an eyebox (74, E), wherein the waveguide is configured to propagate the image-bearing light beams (WI) from the in-coupling diffractive optic (IDO) to the out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) as a set of angularly related collimated beams, the out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) having a two-dimensional array of contiguous diffractive zones (Z), wherein each of the diffractive zones (Z)comprises a set of diffractive features, and the diffractive features in each set have a common orientation and a common pitch; wherein the waveguide is configured to propagate the image-bearing light beams (WI) from the in-coupling diffractive optic (IDO) to the out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) as a set of angularly related collimated beams, the out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO) having a two-dimensional array of contiguous diffractive zones (Z), wherein each of the diffractive zones (Z)comprises a set of diffractive features, and the diffractive features in each set have a common orientation and a common pitch; a succession of the zones (Z) along a first dimension of the array having respective sets of diffractive features that progressively vary in pitch in a stepwise manner, wherein the sets of diffractive features in the successive zones (Z) along the first dimension are oriented in a common direction; a succession of the zones (Z) along a second dimension of the array having respective sets of diffractive features that progressively vary in orientation in a stepwise manner, wherein the pitch of the diffractive features is constant along the second dimension of the array; and wherein the successions of zones (Z) along the first and second dimensions of the array are configured to convert each of the collimated beams into a diverging beam that appears to emanate from a near focus spot on an opposite side of the planar waveguide as viewed within the eyebox (74, E). <EOS>