  One central challenge in high-$T_c$ superconductivity (SC) is to derive a
detailed understanding for the specific role of the $Cu$-$d_{x^2-y^2}$ and
$O$-$p_{x,y}$ orbital degrees of freedom. In most theoretical studies an
effective one-band Hubbard (1BH) or t-J model has been used. Here, the physics
is that of doping into a Mott-insulator, whereas the actual high-$T_c$ cuprates
are doped charge-transfer insulators. To shed light on the related question,
where the material-dependent physics enters, we compare the competing magnetic
and superconducting phases in the ground state, the single- and two-particle
excitations and, in particular, the pairing interaction and its dynamics in the
three-band Hubbard (3BH) and 1BH-models. Using a cluster embedding scheme, i.e.
the variational cluster approach (VCA), we find which frequencies are relevant
for pairing in the two models as a function of interaction strength and doping:
in the 3BH-models the interaction in the low- to optimal-doping regime is
dominated by retarded pairing due to low-energy spin fluctuations with
surprisingly little influence of inter-band (p-d charge) fluctuations. On the
other hand, in the 1BH-model, in addition a part comes from "high-energy"
excited states (Hubbard band), which may be identified with a non-retarded
contribution. We find these differences between a charge-transfer and a Mott
insulator to be renormalized away for the ground-state phase diagram of the
3BH- and 1BH-models, which are in close overall agreement, i.e. are
"universal". On the other hand, we expect the differences - and thus, the
material dependence to show up in the "non-universal" finite-T phase diagram
($T_c$-values).
