Direct observation of the current distribution in thin superconducting strips using magneto-optic imaging

Magneto-optic imaging was used for a detailed study of the flux and current distribution of a long thin strip of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ placed in a perpendicular external magnetic field. The inverse magnetic problem, i.e., that of deriving from a field map the underlying current distribution, is formulated and solved for the strip geometry. Applying the inversion to the magneto-optically found field map we find on a model-independent basis the current distribution across the strip to be in remarkable agreement with the profile predicted by the Bean model. The paper also presents results on the behavior of the Bi-doped YIG film with in-plane anisotropy which we use as field indicator, explaining why previous measurements of flux density profiles have displayed surprisingly large deviations from the expected behavior. © 1996 The American Physical Society.