Fig. 1
Nonreciprocity in a system with topological objects in an asymmetric external environment. A superconductor with vortex strings close to a magnetic insulator with susceptibility χ is placed in an external magnetic field H0. Vortex strings are depicted as normal cores in the superconducting condensate, with a characteristic diameter proportional to the superconducting coherence length ξ. Stray magnetic fields HS emanate from vortex strings nucleating at the superconductor surfaces. The difference in the nucleation energy F for vortex strings at the interface with the magnetic insulator (y = 0) and the vacuum (y = t) leads to a nonreciprocity in the vortex flow JV when driving the vortex strings with an electric current ±I
