Quantum simulation of the two-site Hubbard Hamiltonian

Abstract We present an experimental quantum simulation of the two-site Hubbard Hamiltonian, using the NMR technique. By varying the ratio between the Coulomb interaction U and the kinetic energy Jh (U/Jh), it was possible to observe changes in the behavior of the system, showing that the simulation carries the physics of the Hubbard model, such as the occurrence of an analog of the crossover from a metallic to a Mott-insulator regime in the limit U ≫h. The experimental results were compared with the theoretic predictions, showing good fidelity. The problem is relevant to the areas of Quantum Computation and Solid State Physics, and establishes a possible new approach to treat the model.