From Graphite to Diamond with Lasers

An image of a rectangular piece of graphite in a metal holder. A bright purple laser spot generates a shower of orange sparks.

A shower of charged carbon ions emitted in a plume from the ablation of a graphitic carbon target using a high-power ultraviolet laser. This photo was taken in the Ultracold Neutron Guide-Coating Facility at the University of Winnipeg, where Diamond-Like Carbon thin films are manufactured for the TUCAN collaboration.