We present a theory of the spin Hall magnetoresistance of metals in contact with magnetic insulators. We express the spin-mixing conductances, which govern the phenomenology of the effect, in terms of the microscopic parameters of the interface and the spin-spin correlation functions of the local moments on the surface of the magnetic insulator. The magnetic field and temperature dependence of the spin-mixing conductances leads to a rich behaviour of the resistance due to an interplay between the Hanle effect and spin mixing at the interface. Our theory provides a useful tool for understanding the experiments on heavy metals in contact with magnetic insulators of different kinds, and it predicts striking behaviours of magnetoresistance.
@article{arxiv.1903.10558,
title = {Theory of Spin Hall Magnetoresistance from a Microscopic Perspective},
author = {X. P. Zhang and F. S. Bergeret and V. N. Golovach},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1903.10558},
year = {2019}
}