  The electronic conductance of a molecule making contact to electrodes is
determined by the coupling of discrete molecular states to the continuum
electrode density of states. Interactions between bound states and continua can
be modeled exactly by using the (energy-dependent) self-energy, or
approximately by using a complex potential. We discuss the relation between the
two approaches and give a prescription for using the self-energy to construct
an energy-independent, non-local, complex potential. We apply our scheme to
studying single-electron transmission in an atomic chain, obtaining excellent
agreement with the exact result. Our approach allows us to treat
electron-reservoir couplings independent of single electron energies, allowing
for the definition of a one-body operator suitable for inclusion into
correlated electron transport calculations.
