A simple discovery is shaking the foundations of spintronics

One of the most striking findings in spintronics is unusual magnetoresistance (UMR). In this effect, the electrical resistance of a heavy metal changes when it is placed next to a magnetic insulator and the direction of magnetization rotates within a plane perpendicular to the flow of electric current. This behavior played a key role in shaping the concept of spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR), which became the dominant explanation for UMR. Over time, SMR has been widely used to int...