Gray molasses cooling of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mmultiscripts><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">K</mml:mi><mml:mprescripts /><mml:none /><mml:mn>39</mml:mn></mml:mmultiscripts></mml:math> atoms in optical tweezers

Robust cooling and nondestructive imaging are prerequisites for many emerging applications of neutral atoms trapped in optical tweezers, such as their use quantum information science analog simulation. The tasks can be challenged, however, by the presence large trap-induced shifts respective transitions. Here, we explore a system K39 near-detuned (780nm) tweezer, which leads to relatively minor differential (ground versus excited state) Stark shifts. We demonstrate that simple robust loading, cooling, achieved through combined addressing D1 D2 While on transition, simultaneously apply Λ-enhanced gray molasses (GM) preserving low backgrounds single-atom spectral filtering. Using during after trap enhanced loading efficiencies well temperatures. These results suggest path arrays potassium tweezers resource-efficient GM cooling.Received 11 September 2021Accepted 23 February 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.013240Published American Physical Society under terms Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution this work must maintain attribution author(s) published article's title, journal citation, DOI.Published SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasCooling & trappingAtomic, Molecular Optical