Abstract
Spin–orbit (SO) coupling is the microscopic mechanism that couples the electron's spin degree of freedom to the electron's orbital motion. It emerges from relativistic quantum mechanics described by the Dirac equation. Space and time inversion symmetry enforce characteristic degeneracies in the electronic band structure. A broken space inversion symmetry gives rise to a spin splitting of the bands, the magnitude of which is a measure of the strength of SO coupling. Important SO coupling mechanisms in solids include Rashba and Dresselhaus coupling. SO coupling provides means to address the electrons’ spin degree of freedom in solids using, for example, optical orientation and spin precession.
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