Scattering resonances in graphene

Abstract

We address the two-dimensional band-structure of graphene above the vacuum level in the context of discrete states immersed in the three-dimensional continuum. Scattering resonances are discovered that originate from the coupling of the in-plane and perpendicular motions, as elucidated by the analysis of an exactly solvable model. Some of the resonances turn into true bound states at high-symmetry $\kv$ vectors. {\it Ab initio} scattering theory verifies the existence of the resonances in realistic graphene and shows that they lead to a total reflection of the incident electron below and total transmission above the resonance energy.