Abstract: A mechanism for achieving symmetrical stress loads on operating optical fibers (16) held in fibre optic arrays includes, in one embodiment, the provision of a pair of non-operating or dummy fibres(26), each located outboard of the outermost or curb fibres(16?) of the array. All of the fibres, whether operating or dummy, are held in corresponding grooves (18, 24) in a substrate (12). A cover plate (14) may be positioned thereover while a low stress glue or potting compound (22) is introduced or applied so as to completely encapsulate the fibres. The glue or potting compound will symmetrically surround all of the operating fibres whereby not only any inboard operating fibres (16?), but also the outboard operating curb fibres (16?), are symmetrically encapsulated. In this manner all of the operating fibres are subject to the same stresses and consequently will exhibit essentially the same polarization maintaining behavior.