Two-dimensional cooling without repump laser beams through ion motional heating

Laser cooling typically requires one or more repump lasers to clear dark states, which complicates experimental setups, especially for systems with multiple repumping frequencies. Here, we demonstrate cooling of Be+ ions using a single laser beam, enabled by micromotion-induced one-dimensional heating. By manipulating the displacement of Be+ ions from the trap’s nodal line, we precisely control the ion micromotion velocity, eliminating the necessity of a 1.25 GHz offset repump laser while keeping ions cold in the direction perpendicular to the micromotion. We use two equivalent schemes, cooling laser detuning and ion trajectory imaging to measure the speed of the Be+ ions, with results accurately reproduced by molecular dynamics simulations based on a machine learned time-dependent electric field inside the trap. This work provides a robust method to control micromotion velocity of ions and demonstrates the potential of micromotion-assisted laser cooling to simplify setups for systems requiring multiple repumping frequencies. Reducing the number of lasers in laser cooling experiments is beneficial for simplifying systems requiring multiple repumping frequencies. This work demonstrates micromotion-assisted cooling of Be+ ions with a single laser, eliminating the need for a 1.25 GHz offset repump laser, with results rigorously validated through molecular dynamics simulations.