Electronic charge distributions and correlations in highT c superconducting compounds

Calculations on negatively charged planar Cu _n O _m clusters are reported. Starting from a self-consistent field calculation within a good Gaussian-type orbital basis set, correlations are included by using the Local Ansatz. A charge analysis reveals that the Cu 3d occupation is 9.5, in close agreement with Local Spin Density calculations. The electrons in the formal ((CuO₂)^2–) _n entities are delocalized between Cu and O sites and strongly correlated. Our findings do not agree with the assumption of localized Cu²⁺ spins which lead to thet-J model. Spin correlations indicate strong short-range antiferromagnetic order even when additional electrons are removed. For them, there is no difference between O and Cu sites.