  Spin-orbit (SO) interaction critically influences electron spin dynamics and
spin transport in bulk semiconductors and semiconductor microstructures. This
interaction couples electron spin to dc and ac electric fields. Spin coupling
to ac electric fields allows efficient spin manipulating by the electric
component of electromagnetic field through the electric dipole spin resonance
(EDSR) mechanism. Usually, it is much more efficient than the magnetic
manipulation due to a larger coupling constant and the easier access to spins
at a nanometer scale. The dependence of the EDSR intensity on the magnetic
field direction allows measuring the relative strengths of the competing SO
coupling mechanisms in quantum wells. Spin coupling to an in-plane electric
field is much stronger than to a perpendicular field. Because electron bands in
microstructures are spin split by SO interaction, electron spin is not
conserved and spin transport in them is controlled by a number of competing
parameters, hence, it is rather nontrivial. The relation between spin
transport, spin currents, and spin populations is critically discussed.
Importance of transients and sharp gradients for generating spin magnetization
by electric fields and for ballistic spin transport is clarified.
