X-ray detection structure and system

A detector system for determining a characteristic of an energy spectrum of x-rays, the detector system comprising:

• a scintillator volume having an entrance surface and an exit surface, the entrance surface configured to receive incident x-rays, the scintillator volume configured to emit scintillation light responsive to the incident x-rays, and the exit surface configured to pass a portion of the incident x-rays that traverse a thickness of the scintillator volume between the entrance surface and the exit surface, the thickness of the scintillator volume being larger than a self-attenuation length of a scintillator material of the scintillator volume;
• a first plurality of light guides optically coupled to the entrance surface of the scintillator volume;
• a second plurality of light guides optically coupled to the exit surface of the scintillator volume;
• at least one first photodetector optically coupled to an end of the first plurality of light guides and configured to output a first signal responsive to scintillation light from the scintillator volume;
• at least one second photodetector optically coupled to an end of the second plurality of light guides and configured to output a second signal responsive to scintillation light from the scintillator volume;
• and
• a spectrum analyzer configured to receive the first and second signals responsive to the scintillation light from the scintillator volume and to determine a characteristic of an energy spectrum of the incident x-rays based on the first and second signals.