We argue that the high temperature superconductivity in cuprate compounds may be supported by interaction between copper-oxygen layers mediated by in-plane plasmons. The strength of the interaction is determined by the $c$-axis geometry and by the $ab$-plane optical properties. Without making reference to any particular in-plane mechanism of superconductivity, we show that the interlayer interaction favors spontaneous appearance of the superconductivity in the layers. At a qualitative level the model describes correctly the dependence of the transition temperature on the interlayer distance, and on the number of adjacent layers in multilayered homologous compounds. Moreover, the model has a potential to explain (i) a mismatch between the optimal doping levels for critical temperature and superconducting density and (ii) a universal scaling relation between the dc conductivity, the superfluid density, and the superconducting transition temperature.

• Received 15 June 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.74.052503