An alignment layer may align molecules of a liquid crystalline material to a surface of a substrate having a diffractive optical power region using a nonlinear alignment. The alignment layer may align the molecules of the liquid crystalline material in one of a tangential alignment, a piecewise tangential alignment, a perpendicular alignment, a piecewise perpendicular alignment, a continuous intra-zone alignment, or a piecewise continuous intra-zone alignment. The nonlinear alignment may result in optimal or near optimal alignment of the liquid crystalline material thereby resulting in improved optics and fewer vision compromises.