English

$\Lambda$-Enhanced Gray Molasses Cooling of $^{85}$Rb Atoms in Tweezers Using the D$_2$ Line

Atomic Physics 2026-03-30 v1 Quantum Physics

Abstract

We demonstrate the implementation of Λ\Lambda-enhanced gray molasses cooling on the D2_2 line of 85^{85}Rb atoms in an optical tweezer array. This technique yields lower atomic temperatures of 4.0(2) μ\muK compared to red-detuned polarization gradient cooling, and consequently extends the T2T_2^* coherence time of the hyperfine clock qubit by a factor of 1.5. The method is alignment-free and can be readily implemented on laser beams used for magneto-optical trapping, as it only requires frequency and phase modulation control. Our experimental observations are corroborated by a numerical model based on a semi-classical force approach extended to a four-level system, including two hyperfine states of the upper manifold that are 120 MHz apart.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2512.17653,
  title  = {$\Lambda$-Enhanced Gray Molasses Cooling of $^{85}$Rb Atoms in Tweezers Using the D$_2$ Line},
  author = {Deon Janse van Rensburg and Rogier Venderbosch and Yuri van der Werf and Jesus del Pozo Mellado and Marijn Venderbosch and Rianne Lous and Edgar Vredenbregt and Servaas Kokkelmans},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.17653},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

10 pages, 6 figures