Disclosed herein are techniques for dynamically forming an optical component that automatically aligns with and changes positions with a scanning light beam to modify the wave front of the scanning light beam, such as collimating the scanning light beam. More specifically, a patterning beam that aligns with the scanning light beam may be scanned together with the scanning light beam to form the self-aligning and travelling optical component in an electro-optic material layer that is connected in serial with a photoconductive material layer to a voltage source, where the patterning beam optically modulates the impedance of the photoconductive material layer and therefore an electric field within the electro-optic material layer, the modulated electric field causing localized changes of refractive index in the electro-optic material layer to form the self-aligning and travelling optical component.