Development of a Concept Inventory for Energy Band Theory

Energy band theory is a fundamental concept in solid-state physics, yet no standardized assessment tool exists to evaluate upper-level physics and material science students’ conceptual understanding of this topic. To address this gap, we are developing a concept inventory covering key topics, such as Bloch’s theorem, the nearly free electron model, the tight-binding approximation, the Fermi surface, the density of states, and characteristics of energy bands. As an initial step, we conducted expert interviews with physics and material science faculty to identify essential concepts, common student difficulties, and differentiations in understanding. This presentation reports preliminary findings from the interviews and the inventory’s developments, paving the way for future validation and implementation.