Coherent transients in optical lattices - art. no. 023410

We use a method based on optical coherent transients to study the vibration al coherence lifetimes of atoms trapped in the potential wells of a near-re sonant optical lattice in the oscillating regime. Thr dependence of the pos itions and widths of the vibrational Raman resonances of the coherent trans ient spectra on the intensity, detuning, and geometry of the lattice beams is investigated and the results are compared with theoretical predictions. It is shown that the principal source of broadening of the vibrational Rama n resonances is the anharmonicity of the light-shift potential wells. We al so perform time-resolved measurements of the vibrational excitation of atom s equilibrating in an optical lattice.