Universal quantum Hamiltonians

Abstract

Quantum many-body systems exhibit an extremely diverse range of phases and physical phenomena. However, we prove that the entire physics of any quantum many-body system can be replicated by certain simple, “universal” spin-lattice models. We first characterize precisely what it means for one quantum system to simulate the entire physics of another. We then fully classify the simulation power of all two-qubit interactions, thereby proving that certain simple models can simulate all others, and hence are universal. Our results put the practical field of analogue Hamiltonian simulation on a rigorous footing and take a step toward justifying why error correction may not be required for this application of quantum information technology.