An attempt to settle the one-component versus two-component debate in Cuprate high-$T_c$ superconductors

Abstract

Related to the electronic structure of cuprate high-Tc superconductors there are two prevailing views: In one view, Pines and collaborators argue that cuprates consist of two electronic subsystems: one with localized spins and the other having itinerant character. Contrary to that, Phil Anderson has argued for one-component or one-band model for cuprates. Thus, a very natural question arrises: What is the actual electronic system in cuprates? Are these two-component or one-component systems? After a careful consideration of both the views, we argue in favor of one-component or Andersonian view. The key lies in the dual character of electrons in narrow d bands, and we put forward a semiclassical model using which we could quantitatively account for oxygen NMR shift data in $La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$ within the single component view.