• DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.80.193411
• Corpus ID: 119019688

Optical transparency of graphene as determined by the fine-structure constant

@article{Sheehy2009OpticalTO,
  title={Optical transparency of graphene as determined by the fine-structure constant},
  author={Daniel E. Sheehy and Joerg Schmalian},
  journal={Physical Review B},
  year={2009},
  volume={80},
  pages={193411}
}

• D. Sheehy, J. Schmalian
• Published 29 June 2009
• Physics
• Physical Review B

The observed 97.7% optical transparency of graphene has been linked to the value 1/137 of the fine structure constant, by using results for noninteracting Dirac fermions. The agreement in three significant figures requires an explanation for the apparent unimportance of the Coulomb interaction. Using arguments based on Ward identities, the leading corrections to the optical conductivity due to the Coulomb interactions are correctly computed (resolving a theoretical dispute) and shown to amount to only 1%\char21{}2%, corresponding to 0.03%\char21{}0.04% in the transparency.