  We study atoms in optical lattices whose electronic ground state is
off-resonantly coupled to a highly excited state with strong binary
interactions. We present a time-dependent treatment of the resulting quantum
dynamics, which -- contrary to recent predictions [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 213005
(2013)] -- proves that the strong repulsion between the weakly admixed Rydberg
states does not lead to atomic trap-loss. This finding provides an important
basis for creating and manipulating coherent long-range interactions in optical
lattice experiments.
