  We report measurements of a new type of magnetoresistance in Pt and Ta thin
films. The spin accumulation created at the surfaces of the film by the spin
Hall effect decreases in a magnetic field because of the Hanle effect,
resulting in an increase of the electrical resistance as predicted by Dyakonov
[PRL 99, 126601 (2007)]. The angular dependence of this magnetoresistance
resembles the recently discovered spin Hall magnetoresistance in Pt/Y3Fe5O12
bilayers, although the presence of a ferromagnetic insulator is not required.
We show that this Hanle magnetoresistance is an alternative, simple way to
quantitatively study the coupling between charge and spin currents in metals
with strong spin-orbit coupling.
