System and method for x-ray absorption spectroscopy using a crystal analyzer and a plurality of detector elements

An apparatus comprising:

• an x-ray source comprising a target configured to generate x-rays upon bombardment by electrons;
• a crystal analyzer positioned relative to the x-ray source on a Rowland circle in a tangential plane and having a Rowland circle radius (R), the crystal analyzer comprising crystal planes curved along at least one direction within at least the tangential plane with a radius of curvature substantially equal to twice the Rowland circle radius (2R), the crystal planes configured to receive x-rays from the x-ray source and to disperse the received x-rays according to Bragg's law;
• and
• a spatially resolving detector configured to receive at least a portion of the dispersed x-rays, the spatially resolving detector comprising a plurality of x-ray detection elements having a tunable first x-ray energy and/or a tunable second x-ray energy, the plurality of x-ray detection elements configured to measure received dispersed x-rays having x-ray energies below the first x-ray energy while suppressing measurements of the received dispersed x-rays above the first x-ray energy and/or to measure the received dispersed x-rays having x-ray energies above the second x-ray energy while suppressing measurements of the received dispersed x-rays below the second x-ray energy, the first and second x-ray energies tunable in a range of 1.5 keV to 30 keV.