Inverse Edelstein Effect

In this work, we provide a precise microscopic definition of the recently observed ``Inverse Edelstein Effect", in which a non-equilibrium spin accumulation in the plane of a two-dimensional (interfacial) electron gas drives an electric current perpendicular to its own direction. The drift-diffusion equations that govern the effect are presented and applied to the interpretation of the experiments. By taking into account the Rashba spin-orbit interaction, we show how the inverse Edelstein effect arises as a combination of the $z$-spin current flowing along the $y$-direction due to an non-equilibrium $S^y$ polarization and of the inverse spin Hall effect mechanism which yields, in turn, a $x$-flowing charge current. Explicit results have been shown in the diffusive regime where we have used the theoretical framework of the $SU(2)$ formulation for linear-in-momentum spin-orbit coupling.