EKSPLA is a laser and laser electronics manufacturing company based in Vilnius, Lithuania. EKSPLA is known for their lasers and laser systems, as well as other photonics components. The company is supplying their products for scientific, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and industrial applications.
All Lithuanian laser technology companies trace their roots to Vilnius University and the Institute of Physics.[2] Members of Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and of the Institute of Physics organised an experimental workshop and established the EKSMA company in 1983.
In 1992, EKSPLA started operating as a separate legal entity. Gradual development of the company can be illustrated by its customer base expansion to Japan in 1993, and United States in 1996. Today it covers all the world.[citation needed]
The first EKSPLA commercial picosecond diode-pumped laser was developed in 2002.
In 2004, EKSMA became a holding company through acquisition of EKSPLA. The shareholders agreed to consolidate all laser and photonics related businesses of both companies into EKSPLA, and two divisions were established: Laser & Laser Systems and Photonics Components. Although company operates under the EKSPLA name, both EKSPLA and EKSMA trademarks are used for laser and components businesses.
Effective from 1 July 2008, all components business activities (covering optical components, laser & nonlinear crystals, positioning mechanics, mounts and optical tables) were moved from EKSPLA to an Optolita company with the brand name of and doing business as EKSMA OPTICS.[3]
The company now sells its products directly or through distributors in 80 countries all over the world, mainly in NATO and the European Union. In 2022, EKSPLA severed trade relations with Russia and Belarus because of the invasion of Ukraine.
80 out of 100 top universities use EKSPLA’s lasers in their research facilities.
Awards
In 2005, EKSPLA was awarded as the knowledge economy company of the year. The award was given as an acknowledgement of the company's constant investments and achievements in development and marketing of knowledge-based products, cooperation with research institutions, and support to the knowledge-based economy development projects.[4]
In 2007, EKSPLA CEO Kestutis Jasiunas, together with other scientists and entrepreneurs (Dr. Romualdas Danielius, Dr. Rimantas Kraujalis and Prof. Habil. Dr. Algis Petras Piskarskas), received the Partnership Award of the National Advancement Awards. This was an acknowledgement of major contributions to Lithuania laser science and industry consolidation.[5]
The same year, EKSPLA’s senior engineer Dr. Romaldas Antanavičius was included in the Photonics100 list of 2024 for his genius in developing tunable wavelength lasers. The list is composed by the Electro Optics magazine, it celebrates people that drive the photonics industry forward – the innovators, the boundary-pushers, the disruptors, the out-of-the-box thinkers and the R&D rock stars.
EKSPLA also holds two prestigious Prism Awards by SPIE, unofficially also known as the photonics Oscars, given by the International Society for Optics and Photonics: for the NT200 nanosecond tunable wavelength laser system series, won in 2010, and for the femtosecond laser FemtoLux 30, awarded in 2024.[7]
The company has also been recognized with the Laser Focus World Awards on two occasions, claiming the Gold award in 2022 for the FemtoLux 30 and receiving Bronze honors in 2023 for the PT277-XIR series laser.
Products
EKSPLA has 4 product lines: scientific lasers and laser systems, industrial lasers, laser spectroscopy, and laser electronics components.[8] The company manufactures and supplies photonic products and services for OEM and R&D applications.
Lasers and laser systems
Since its foundation, the company was manufacturing only flash-lamp pumped lasers. But as diode pumping results in better overall efficiency and beam quality, a decision was made to replace them with diode-pumped lasers. Currently the EKSPLA laser product line comprises mainly tunable wavelength and diode-pumped lasers.
If classified by pulse duration, the company manufactures femtosecond, nanosecond and picosecond lasers.[9]
EKSPLA's portfolio includes femtosecond lasers as part of its industrial product line. The FemtoLux 30, a low-maintenance ultrafast laser, serves as a reliable solution for a variety of micromachining tasks with its versatile features.
The laser incorporates several advanced technologies developed by EKSPLA's engineers: GHz burst modes, Pulse-on-Demand function; it is not only efficient and versatile but also easy to use:
GHz burst modes: This is especially important for the semiconductor industry, where glass can be processed more precisely, at lower cost, and faster. Thanks to the patented GHz burst modes, the FemtoLux 30 laser is the only one on the market with unmatched flexibility in selecting burst configurations, ranging from two to thousands of pulses per burst. This flexibility has been applied to drilling deep, small-diameter holes in glass.
The Pulse-on-Demand function allows for precise maintenance of identical distances between adjacent pulses, even when the scanning speed of the laser beam dynamically changes, preventing excessive pulse overlap and maintaining homogeneous structures. The PoD function is essential for fast material processing while maintaining quality. This is achieved by keeping equal distances between adjacent pulses, even as the laser beam scanning speed dynamically changes. This way, excessive pulse overlap is avoided, and the homogeneity of the processed structure is preserved.
Broad pulse duration tuning. The proven patented Active Fiber Loop technology for GHz burst shaping has been adapted for flexible pulse duration tuning – from several hundred femtoseconds to nanoseconds. This feature, along with others, extends the versatility of the FemtoLux 30 and makes it possible to combine nanosecond, picosecond, and femtosecond laser sources into one – FemtoLux 30 with broad pulse duration tuning, covering different duration ranges and reducing costs (one system instead of three).
It is also the first ultrashort pulse (USP) laser in the market with novel direct refrigerant cooling (DRC) method, which means, no water is used, the systems maintains high cooling efficiency and shows over lower power consumption compared to water cooling USP lasers.
The FemtoLux 30 compact design integrates both the laser head and power supply into a small footprint, facilitating easy integration into industrial setups.
It is used for micromachining, glass, sapphire and ceramics micro processing, microelectronics manufacturing, glass intra volume structuring, micro processing of different polymers and metals, LCD, LED, OLED drilling, cutting and repair.
Laser electronics
EKSPLA Electronics group delivers electronics devices specifically tailored for laser applications for laser manufacturers and scientists.
Laser diode drivers are critical components in the operation of laser diodes, providing the necessary electrical current and control to ensure optimal performance and longevity. Laser diodes are versatile and widely used in various applications, including but no limiting lasers for science, industry and medical applications. However, these sensitive devices require precise current control to function correctly and to avoid damage.
Pockels Cell Drivers & HV Power Supplies. A Pockels cell driver is an essential component in various optical systems, particularly in applications involving laser modulation and Q-switching. These drivers are responsible for controlling Pockels cells, which are electro-optic devices used to modulate the polarization state of light passing through them. The drivers provide the high-voltage electrical pulses needed to activate the Pockels cells. These pulses induce the electro-optic effect in the crystal, allowing for rapid and accurate modulation of the laser beam.
Laser Synchronization Modules & Pulse Delay Generators The SY4000 module is a timing generator dedicated to synchronizing various laser components such as AOM drivers, Pockels cell drivers, laser diodes, flash lamp drivers, detectors, and data acquisition systems. Standard applications include:
Passive or active mode-locked, Q-switched lasers, pulsed or QCW
Data acquisition system triggering
General-purpose pulse generation
Precise system clock source
Converting laser pulse trains to a clean clock source
Performing all the above functions simultaneously
Crystal Ovens. In laser applications, certain optical crystals need to be heated during operation to maintain their performance, enhance their properties, or prevent damage. That are particularly nonlinear optical crystals like KTP, BBO, LBO, acousto-optic crystals TeO2, electro optic crystals KDP, DKDP and others. Devices so called crystal ovens are used to keep the crystals at certain precise temperature.
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