The phenomenon of metastability can shape dynamical processes on all temporal and spatial scales. Here, we induce metastable dynamics by pumping ultracold bosonic atoms from the lowest band of an optical lattice to an excitation band, via a sudden quench of the unit cell. The subsequent relaxation process to the lowest band displays a sequence of stages, which include a metastable stage, during which the atom loss from the excitation band is strongly suppressed. Using classical-field simulations and analytical arguments, we provide an explanation for this experimental observation, in which we show that the transient condensed state of the atoms in the excitation band is a dark state with regard to collisional decay and tunneling to a low-energy orbital. Therefore the metastable state is stabilized by destructive interference due to the chiral phase pattern of the condensed state. Our experimental and theoretical study provides a detailed understanding of the different stages of a paradigmatic example of many-body relaxation dynamics.
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