Glossary
Fluorescence
Emission of electromagnetic radiation, usually visible light, caused by excitation of atoms in a material, which then reemit almost immediately (within about 10−8 seconds). The initial excitation is usually caused by absorption of energy from incident radiation or particles, such as X-rays or electrons  (from Britannica.com)
 
Incandescence
A light form heat energy (standard Light bulbs)
 
Laser
(from spectroscopy (science): Laser sources), (light of essentially one “colour”—i.e., composed of a very narrow range of frequencies). As the light is tuned across the frequency range of interest and the absorption or fluorescence is recorded, extremely narrow spectral features can be measured. Modern tunable lasers can easily resolve spectral features less than 106 hertz wide, while the...   (from Britannica.com)
 
Luminescence
Process by which an excited material emits light in a process not caused solely by a rise in temperature. (from Britannica.com)
The excitation is usually achieved with ultraviolet radiation, X rays, electrons, alpha particles, electric fields, or chemical energy. The colour, or wavelength, of the light emitted is determined by the material, while the intensity depends on both the material and the input energy. Examples of luminescence include light emissions from neon lamps, luminescent watch dials, television and computer screens, fluorescent lamps, and fireflies.
 
Phosphorescence

(from math.ucr.edu) 
First, let's distinguish phosphorescence from fluorescence. A fluorescent paint glows under a UV lamp, but stops glowing as soon as the lamp is turned off. A phosphorescent paint keeps glowing for a while.

Phosphorescent substances have the ability to store up light and release it gradually. The notion of a metastable state explains this. If the molecules of the substance can get from the ground state to a metastable state, and if the metastable state can slowly decay back to the ground state via photon emission, then we have phosphorescence.
 
Upconversion
Refers to the emission of light when certain characterstics are met withPhosphorous and Lanthanoid elements
A Sciencedirect.com webpage discusses the use of upconversion for the detection of 1.3μm luminescence.
"Conversion of IR radiation with λ=1.3 μm into the visible by use of nonlinear sum-frequency mixing in a LiIO3 crystal was studied experimentally. Advantages and disadvantages of the up-conversion method compared with other methods for NIR-light detection are discussed."
Lanthanoid elements when "upconverted" emit light.
PubMed.gov article excerpt:
Upconversion fluorescence imaging technique with excitation in the near-infrared (NIR) region has been used for imaging of biological cells and tissues. This has several advantages, including absence of photo-damage to living organisms, very low auto-fluorescence, high detection sensitivity, and high light penetration depth in biological tissues.
The near-infrared region is also called Infra Red-A
Also there is an "Energy Upconversion" Discussed in the following PNOS.org webpage excerpt:
The photophysical events preceding electron transfer in green plant and bacterial photosynthesis have been the subject of much speculation and experiment (1-8).
Swiss Authentication uses a near-infrared or Infra red-A region frequency to excite Lanthanoid and thus creates the resulting upconversion process/light emission.

Refers to the emission of light when certain characterstics are met withPhosphorous and Lanthanoid elementsA Sciencedirect.com webpage discusses the use of upconversion for the detection of 1.3μm luminescence.

"Conversion of IR radiation with λ=1.3 μm into the visible by use of nonlinear sum-frequency mixing in a LiIO3 crystal was studied experimentally. Advantages and disadvantages of the up-conversion method compared with other methods for NIR-light detection are discussed."
Lanthanoid elements when "upconverted" emit light.PubMed.gov article excerpt:

Upconversion fluorescence imaging technique with excitation in the near-infrared (NIR) region has been used for imaging of biological cells and tissues. This has several advantages, including absence of photo-damage to living organisms, very low auto-fluorescence, high detection sensitivity, and high light penetration depth in biological tissues. 

The near-infrared region is also called Infra Red-A
Also there is an "Energy Upconversion" Discussed in the following PNOS.org webpage excerpt:
The photophysical events preceding electron transfer in green plant and bacterial photosynthesis have been the subject of much speculation and experiment (1-8). 

Swiss Authentication uses a near-infrared or Infra red-A region frequency to excite Lanthanoid and thus creates the resulting upconversion process/light emission.
 


glossary_web

Swiss Authentication Blog