We solve the 2D Dirac equation describing graphene in the presence of a linear vector potential. The discretization of the transverse momentum due to the infinite mass boundary condition reduced our 2D Dirac equation to an effective massive 1D Dirac equation with an effective mass equal to the quantized transverse momentum. We use both a numerical Poincaré Map approach, based on space discretization of the original Dirac equation, and direct analytical method. These two approaches have been used to study tunneling phenomena through a biased graphene strip. The numerical results generated by the Poincaré Map are in complete agreement with the analytical results.

We study the electronic band structures of massless Dirac fermions in symmetrical graphene superlattice with cells of three regions. Using the transfer matrix method, we explicitly determine the dispersion relation in terms of different physical parameters. We numerically analyze such relation and show that there exist three zones: bound, unbound and forbidden states. In the central zone of the band structures, we determine and enumerate the vertical Dirac points, opening gaps and additional Dirac points. Finally, we inspect the potential effect on minibands, the anisotropy of group velocity and the energy bands contours near Dirac points. We also discuss the evolution of gap edges and cutoff region near the vertical Dirac points.

We investigate the effect of Rashba and intrinsic spin-orbit couplings on the electronic properties and spin configurations of Dirac fermions confined in: (i) a flat graphene sheet, (ii) a graphene wire with p-n-p structure, and (iii) a superlattice of graphene wires. The interplay between the spin-orbit interaction mechanisms breaks the electron-hole symmetry and the spin configuration induced by Rashba spin-orbit coupling lacks inversion symmetry in k space. We show that the Rashba spin-orbit interaction doubles the Fabry-Pérot resonant modes in the transmission spectrum of a graphene wire and opens new channels for the electron transmission. Moreover, it leads to the appearance of spin split extra Dirac cones in the energy spectrum of a graphene superlattice. It is shown that the spin of the electrons and holes confined in a flat graphene sheet is always perpendicular to their motion while this is not the case for the other nanostructures.

The tunneling effect of two-dimensional Dirac fermions in a constant magnetic field is studied. This can be done by using the continuity equation at some points to determine the corresponding reflexion and transmission coefficients. For this, we consider a system made of graphene as superposition of two different regions where the second is characterized by an energy gap t'. In fact, we treat concrete systems to practically give two illustrations: barrier and diode. For each case, we discuss the transmission in terms of the ratio of the energy conservation and t'. Moreover, we analyze the resonant tunneling by introducing a scalar Lorentz potential where it is shown that a total transmission is possible.