This thesis explores the interplay between temperature and nanophotonics. In the beginning of the thesis, we address the problem of thermal stabilization of silicon photonic devices, which is a major obstacle in low power integration of on-chip optical interconnects. We demonstrate different schemes, at architecture and device levels, to mitigate thermal sensitivity in optical devices. Using one of the schemes, we demonstrate a ring resonator based electro-optic modulator working over 40 degrees. All the athermal schemes are passive and CMOS- compatible, making them more attractive over active feedback based power- hungry techniques. The latter part of the thesis explores photon-based radiative heat transfer processes. Conventional blackbody radiation is much weaker than solid-state phonon based heat transfer, but its spectrum can be tailored easily as opposed to broadband nature of phonons. Near-field thermal radiation provides a way to overcome the traditional blackbody limit by increasing radiative density of states. We use this phenomenon to demonstrate strong near-field cooling of a thermally isolated membrane through evanescent coupling with a tip. Finally we demonstrate thermal rectification by using temperature dependent spectral properties in a radiative channel.