Quantum materials in which electrons interact strongly have unique properties that hold promise for future technologies. Example applications include quantum computing, more efficient electrical power transmission, and improved thermoelectric cooling. In this project, the team will study gases of strongly interacting atoms to better understand the physics of quantum materials. These atoms, like electrons, carry spin, allowing them to mimic the behavior of electrons. At low temperatures, electrons of opposite spin form pairs, leading to superconductivity. However, strongly interacting electrons can also pair above the superconducting transition temperature. A better understanding of this type of pairing may help to explain why some superconductors work at higher temperatures, allowing researchers to design superconductors with higher transition temperatures. The team will use a gas of atoms in a trap made of laser light to study how spin and heat flow between different regions of the trapped atomic gas. These measurements will give insight into pairing and conduction in quantum materials, contributing to ongoing efforts to better understand and design materials for technological applications. Graduate and undergraduate students involved in the project will gain valuable scientific and technical skills that prepare them for careers in quantum science and technology. Strongly interacting fermions lie at the heart of exotic quantum many-body systems, including quantum materia