Light coupling element

A light coupling element, comprising:

• a plurality of waveguide attachment features for receiving and permanently attaching to a plurality of optical waveguides, each waveguide attachment feature comprising an entrance end opposite a terminal end, the entrance ends of the attachment features arranged at a pitch Pe, the terminal ends of the attachment features arranged at a pitch Pt;
• and
• a light redirecting member disposed closer to the terminal ends, and farther from the entrance ends, of the attachment features and comprising an input surface, a reflecting side and an exit surface such that when an optical waveguide is received and permanently attached at each attachment feature, a central light ray emitted by each optical waveguide enters the light redirecting member through the input surface as an input central light ray, is redirected by the reflecting side into a redirected central light ray and exits the light redirecting member at the exit surface as an output central light ray, the output central light ray intersecting the exit surface at an exit point, each attachment feature corresponding to a different exit point at the exit surface, the exits points corresponding to the attachment features arranged at a pitch Px not equal to Pe, wherein Pt is substantially equal to one of Px and Pe, or Pe>Pt>Px,
• wherein the plurality of waveguide attachment features comprise first and second grooves for receiving and aligning respective first and second optical waveguides, the reflecting side comprises first and second light redirecting surfaces corresponding to the respective first and second grooves, such that when first and second optical waveguides are received and aligned in the respective first and second grooves and emit respective first and second input central light rays, the first and second light redirecting surfaces receive and reflect the input central light rays into respective first and second redirected central light rays so that the redirected central light rays exit the light coupling element as respective first and second output central light rays, wherein the first and second input central light rays define an angle α1 therebetween and the first and second output central light rays define an angle α2 therebetween, and
• wherein one of α1 and α2 is less than about 1 degree and the other of α1 and α2 is greater than about 2 degrees.