This effect arises when the luminescence detector does not see a portion of the luminescent volume where the excitation beam enters the sample. Thus the exciting beam flux is reduced by absorption by the analyte and interfering impurities before it enters the volume observed by the detection system.
Source:
PAC, 1984, 56, 231. 'Nomenclature, symbols, units and their usage in spectrochemical analysis-Part VI: molecular luminescence spectroscopy' on page 244 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198456020231)