Methods, systems and apparatus for simulating physical systems. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of selecting a first set of basis functions for the simulation, wherein the first set of basis functions comprises an active and a virtual set of orbitals; defining a set of expansion operators for the simulation, wherein expansion operators in the set of expansion operators approximate fermionic excitations in an active space spanned by the active set of orbitals and a virtual space spanned by the virtual set of orbitals; performing multiple quantum computations to determine a matrix representation of a Hamiltonian characterizing the system in a second set of basis functions, computing, using the determined matrix representation of the Hamiltonian, eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian; and determining properties of the physical system using the computed eigenvalues and eigenvectors.