Optical absorption of subwavelength silicon nanoparticles at telecom wavelengths

This study investigates the absorption of light at 1550 nm wavelength by silicon nanoparticles. The authors identify a temperature dependence of the optical absorption, which grows as the particles become hotter. The presented measurements indicate a thermal runaway that leads to destruction of the particles when heated beyond a critical temperature. This work can support the development of quantum optomechanics experiments, where silicon nanoparticles have been considered promising candidates to serve as test masses to investigate quantum superposition effects.