Star Trek: 10 Things You Need To Know About Transporters
1. Teleportation In Reality
The idea that led to the Transporter, namely teleportation itself, is a far older phenomenon than Star Trek itself. The first usage of the term was coined by American writer Charles Fort in his 1931 novel 'Lo!'. Though in the novel he prefaces by saying that many will accuse him of making up nonsense, he proceeds to at least attempt to define it.
The term comes from the Latin words for Remote (tele) and To Carry (portare). Fort was using the term to describe the strange disappearances and appearances of anomalies. This idea had existed in fiction for some time, with examples as early as 1897 combining both teleportation and time travel.
Quantum teleportation suggests that it is possible to transmit the data of a subject across distances without actually moving them. This would tie in with Lawrence Krauss's theory that would allow for transporter clones. While there are no conclusive verifications of this type of transport so far, in 2014 researcher Ronald Hanson and colleagues and the Technological University Delft in the Netherlands demonstrated information teleportation between two entangled quantumbits that were three metres apart.
This may not be a precursor to matter transportation just yet, but it is certain a rung on that same ladder.