Raman excitation of ultracold atoms to higher vibrational bands in an optical lattice

Cold atoms with orbital degrees of freedom in an optical lattice could lead to novel effects and quantum phases. We present experiments using stimulated Raman transition to excite atoms initially in the ground band to higher vibrational bands in a 3D optical lattice while simultaneously changing the hyperfine state of the atoms. The combination of spin and vibrational coupling allow us to create higher orbital states with different spins and observe the dynamics of such a system.