  Cu K edge X-ray absorption spectra of overdoped superconducting
$YSr_2Cu_{2.75}Mo_{0.25}O_{7.54}$ and $Sr_2CuO_{3.3}$ show a remarkably strong
correlation of their superconductivity with the local dynamics of their Cu-Sr
and Cu-apical-O pairs. This finding that the entire alkaline earth
cation-apical O "dielectric" layer has an active role in the unusual electronic
properties of cuprates has not been previously considered and has far reaching
implications. We develop this idea of a possible role for the apical oxygen
charge dynamics via a soft mode of the Sr by applying Kuramoto's
synchronization technique to exact diagonalization calculations of two
neighboring Cu-apical O pairs bridged by Sr and a planar O atom. These
calculations show a first order phase transition to a synchronized state of the
Internal Quantum Tunneling Polarons (IQTPs) in which a fraction of the hole
originally confined to the apical O atoms of the cluster is transferred onto
the planar O. This combination of experimental results and theory demonstrates
that the Sr-O dielectric layer of cuprates most likely plays an important role
in high temperature superconductivity via its collective charge dynamics that
extends into the $CuO_2$ conducting planes.
