Lanthanum barium copper oxide is related to the far simpler compound lanthanum cuprate, which has a similar structure. In lanthanum barium copper oxide, some of the La(III) centers are replaced by Ba(II), which has a similar ionic radius. This Ba-for-La replacement causes removal of some electrons from the d-band associated with the sheets of copper oxide.[3]
^Raveau, Bernard (2013). "Impact of Crystal Chemistry upon the Physics of Strongly Correlated Electrons in Oxides". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 52 (1): 167–175. doi:10.1002/anie.201204884. PMID23203459.