The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus and method that is capable of non-contact cooling of a hot body by optically-enhanced radiation. An apparatus in accordance with the illustrative embodiment includes a cold body and an optical system. The optical system couples the cold body to a hot body for the transmission of infrared radiation. Once optically coupled, heat will flow, at an enhanced rate, from the hot body to the cold body, as dictated by thermodynamics, thereby cooling the hot body. In some embodiment, the temperature of the cold body is held substantially constant.