A method for cooling an atomic object confined by an atomic object confinement apparatus, the method comprising: controlling, by a controller associated with the atomic object confinement apparatus, a first manipulation source to provide a first manipulation signal (215, 215') to a particular region of the atomic object confinement apparatus; and controlling, by the controller, a second manipulation source to provide a second manipulation signal (225, 225') to the particular region of the atomic object confinement apparatus, wherein: the atomic object to be cooled is located in the particular region of the atomic object confinement apparatus, the first manipulation signal (215, 215') is characterized by a first wavelength corresponding to a transition between an S manifold and a P manifold of a first component of the atomic object and detuned from the transition between the S manifold and the P manifold by a first detuning, the second manipulation signal (225, 225') is characterized by a second wavelength corresponding to a transition between the P manifold and a D manifold of the first component of the atomic object and detuned from the transition between P manifold and the D manifold by a second detuning, the first and second detunings selected to establish a dark state associated with a two photon transition between the S manifold and the D manifold. controlling, by a controller associated with the atomic object confinement apparatus, a first manipulation source to provide a first manipulation signal (215, 215') to a particular region of the atomic object confinement apparatus; and controlling, by the controller, a second manipulation source to provide a second manipulation signal (225, 225') to the particular region of the atomic object confinement apparatus, wherein: the atomic object to be cooled is located in the particular region of the atomic object confinement apparatus, the first manipulation signal (215, 215') is characterized by a first wavelength corresponding to a transition between an S manifold and a P manifold of a first component of the atomic object and detuned from the transition between the S manifold and the P manifold by a first detuning, the second manipulation signal (225, 225') is characterized by a second wavelength corresponding to a transition between the P manifold and a D manifold of the first component of the atomic object and detuned from the transition between P manifold and the D manifold by a second detuning, the first and second detunings selected to establish a dark state associated with a two photon transition between the S manifold and the D manifold. the atomic object to be cooled is located in the particular region of the atomic object confinement apparatus, the first manipulation signal (215, 215') is characterized by a first wavelength corresponding to a transition between an S manifold and a P manifold of a first component of the atomic object and detuned from the transition between the S manifold and the P manifold by a first detuning, the second manipulation signal (225, 225') is characterized by a second wavelength corresponding to a transition between the P manifold and a D manifold of the first component of the atomic object and detuned from the transition between P manifold and the D manifold by a second detuning, the first and second detunings selected to establish a dark state associated with a two photon transition between the S manifold and the D manifold.