Disentangling bulk from surface contributions in the electronic structure of black phosphorus

Most recently, black phosphorus has come into focus as a promising material for future applications in nanoelectronic devices due to its unique electronic and transport properties. Here, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in conjunction with ab initio calculations within the framework of density-functional theory to disentangle surface from the bulk contributions in the electronic structure of black phosphorus. We find good agreement between our theoretical predictions for the intra- and interlayer energy-momentum dispersions and the experimentally obtained three-dimensional band structure of this material. Our results provide compelling evidence for the existence of surface-resonant states near the top of the valence band, which can play an important role in the performance of electronic devices based on black phosphorus.