This volume is a collection of papers presented at the Fourteenth International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena held in Niigata, Japan from July 25-30, 2004. The Ultrafast Phenomena Conferences are held every two years and provide a forum for discussion of the latest results in ultrafast optics and their applications in science and engineering. A total of more than 300 papers were presented, reporting the forefront of research in ultrashort pulse generation and characterization, including new techniques for shortening the duration of laser pulses, for stabilizing their absolute phase, and for improving tenability over broad wavelength ranges, output powers and peak intensities. Ultrafast spectroscopies, particularly time-resolved X-ray and electron diffraction and two-dimensional spectroscopy, continue to give new insights into fundamental processes in physics, chemistry and biology. Control and optimization of the outcome of ultrafast processes represent another important field of research. There are an increasing number of applications of ultrafast methodology in material diagnostics and processing, microscopy and medical imaging. The enthusiasm of the participants, the involvement of many students, the high quality of the papers in both oral and poster sessions made the conference very successful. Many people and organizations made invaluable contributions. The members of the international program committee reviewed the submissions and organized the program. The staff of the Optical Society of America deserves special thanks for making the meeting arrangements and running the meeting smoothly.
