Charge-transfer gap and superexchange interaction in insulating cuprates

Abstract

A cluster-model analysis is made on the material dependence of the optical charge-transfer gap and antiferromagnetic superexchange interaction of a variety of insulating cuprates. It is shown that the electronic structure of cuprates typically of the charge-transfer type is characterized by the unique energy-level separation that reflects the three dimensionality of the crystal via the long-range Madelung potential; such characteristics are absent in the Mott-Hubbard regime.