We have used parametric excitation and time resolved fluorescence detection to investigate the coherent control of center-of-mass wave packets for atoms confined in an optical lattice. We have demonstrated the ability to manipulate the atomic wave packet motion using temporal variations of the lattice potential, and our results are in excellent agreement with a single atom model based on a solution of the Heisenberg equations of motion.

• Received 13 January 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.4906