Complex images, inscribed into the spatial profile of a laser beam or even a single photon, offer a highly efficient method of data encoding. Here we present a prototype system which can quickly modulate between arbitrary images. We display an array of holograms, each defined by its phase and intensity profile, on a spatial light modulator. The input beam is then steered by an acousto-optic modulator to one of these holograms, where it is converted into the desired light mode. We demonstrate switching between characters within three separate alphabets at a switching rate of up to10 kHz. This rate is limited by our detection system, and we anticipate that the system is capable of far higher rates. Furthermore our system is not limited in efficiency by channel number, making it ideal for quantum communication applications
