Distribution of screening currents in thin superconducting films

A theoretical analysis is made of the magnetic field screening in thin supe rconducting films in the Meissner state. Simple approximations are derived for the current density distribution over the film thickness which are ever ywhere analytical and satisfy the initial equations with a high degree of a ccuracy. This approximation can be used to determine the demagnetization fa ctor of the film and to estimate the magnetic field for entry of the first vortices into the sample. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics.