Ekspla

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.

History
All Lithuanian laser technology companies trace their roots to Vilnius University and the Institute of Physics. 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.

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.

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 war in 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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

Most common EKSPLA lasers applications:
 * Research and Development
 * Laser spectroscopy
 * OPG/OPA, OPO pumping
 * Plasma studies
 * LIDAR
 * Photobiology, photochemistry
 * Micromachining
 * Marking
 * Seeding
 * Engraving
 * Ablation
 * Other applications

Laser micromachining
In 2007, EKSPLA developed the Master Series laser marking systems for material processing. A diode-pumped laser integrated in the system enables higher productivity. This product line has been designed with industrial applications in mind.

Laser marking systems can be used to perform various tasks: to mark serial numbers, barcodes for identification, small "invisible" signs for trademark protection or even to scribe semiconductors or plastics. Laser marking systems are suitable for creating 2D and 3D patterns inside glass.

Later all laser material processing workstation business was transferred to ELAS – laser micromachining workstations manufacturer.

Opto-electronic components
The following opto-electronic components are produced:
 * Pockels cells. The material for Pockels cells are BBO and KD*P nonlinear crystals. Pockels cells are used in DPSS Q-switching lasers and are the basic components of electro-optic modulators. Pockels cells applications: high repetition rate regenerative amplifier control, beam chopper, cavity dumping.
 * Drivers for Pockels cells. These have been designed to enable Q-switching of nanosecond lasers without the use of phase retardation plates. High voltage applied to the Pockels cell inhibits oscillation. At a certain time HV is switched to ground, thus allowing the laser to radiate.
 * Crystal Ovens. Ovens accommodate temperature-sensitive nonlinear crystals. They are used for precise temperature stabilization of laser harmonic crystals of various sizes, and for heating of both bulk and thin periodically poled crystals.
 * Flashlamp drivers
 * Laser cooling units
 * Laser crystal ovens