  Mott gap excitations in the high-Tc superconductor of the optimal doped
YBa2Cu3O7-d (Tc = 93 K) have been studied by the resonant inelastic x-ray
scattering method. Anisotropic spectra in the ab-plane are observed in a
twin-free crystal. The excitation from the one-dimensional CuO chain is
enhanced at 2 eV near the zone boundary of the b* direction, while the
excitation from the CuO2 plane is broad at 1.5-4 eV and almost independent of
the momentum transfer. Theoretical calculation based on the one-dimensional and
two-dimensional Hubbard model reproduces the observed spectra by taking the
different parameters of the on-site Coulomb energy. The fact of the Mott gap of
the CuO chain site is much smaller than that of CuO2 plane site is observed for
the first time.

Strongly Correlated Electrons