Inverse Edelstein Effect: an Heuristic Derivation

We provide a heuristic derivation of the "Inverse Edelstein Effect" (IEE), 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 derived and applied to the interpretation of recent experiments. A brief analysis based on the Kubo formula shows that the result is valid also outside the diffusive regime, i.e. when spin and momentum relaxation become comparable.