How Does Spin Hall Effect Couple Charge and Spin Current?

[semc]

Hi,

I have been trying to understand how the spin hall effect comes about. However, everywhere I look I just find 'the spin-orbit interaction couples the charge and spin current'. I really don't understand how does the current couple through the interaction. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Fred Wright]

I think this paper by Jorge Hirsch will shed some light on your question; https://arxiv.org/pdf/cond-mat/9906160.pdf. The spin-orbit interaction couples to the spin current by a scattering potential which is the sum of a Coulomb potential and a spin-orbit potential. The scattered current becomes spin polarized with asymmetry with respect to the direction transverse to the charge current direction.

Peace,
Fred