edited by H Katori (The University of Tokyo, Japan), H Yoneda (University of Electro-Communications, Japan), K Nakagawa (University of Electro-Communications, Japan), & F Shimizu (University of Electro-Communications, Japan)

The XIX International Conference on Laser Spectroscopy, one of the leading conferences in the very diverse and still growing field of laser spectroscopy, was held in Hokkaido, Japan, on June 7–12, 2009. This volume, comprising a collection of invited contributions presented at the conference, will report on the latest developments in the area of laser spectroscopy and related fields: cold atoms and molecules, degenerate quantum gases, quantum optics, quantum information processing, precision measurements, atomic clock, ultra-fast lasers and strong field phenomena, and novel spectroscopic applications.