Diamond like carbon, DLC, ta-C

Benefits in optical applications

 MirrorImage


In the visible by coating reflective optics
In the infra red by coating transparent Ge and ZnSe optics and windows
In the example a front surface mirror is protected with a coating of pure DLC. The image formed of a text book cover is not distorted by the coating. The image is reversed because of reflection in the mirror.
In the example, the beam from a CO2 laser passes through a pure DLC coating to heat a firebrick to incandescence.