An a thermal fiber Bragg grating assembly. A platform provides two attachment locations and has a first coefficient of thermal expansion. A stick provides two ends and has a second coefficient of thermal expansion. A fiber Bragg grating provides two ends and has effective third coefficient of thermal expansion. One stick end is fixed to one grating end, the other stick end is fixed to one attachment location, and the other grating end is fixed to the other attachment location. The stick has a same cross-section area along its length that is equal to or less than the cross-section area of the grating. And the coefficients and lengths between respective locations and ends are such that the assembly exhibits an effective overall coefficient of thermal expansion approaching zero.