Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction literature, film, video games, and television. The use of matter transmitters in science fiction originated at least as early as the 19th century. However, there is no known physical mechanism that would allow for teleportation.

Quantum teleportation is distinct from regular teleportation, as it does not transfer matter from one place to another, but rather transmits the information necessary to prepare a (microscopic) target system in the same quantum state as the source system. Quantum teleportation involves two distant, entangled particles in which the state of a third particle instantly "teleports" its state to the two entangled particles. Scientists have confirmed that information could be passed between photons on computer chips even when the photons were not physically linked.

Real-life teleportation uses the principles of quantum physics, a set of rules that describe the strange behavior of photons, electrons, and other minuscule particles that make up the universe. In the quantum world, teleportation involves the transportation of information, rather than the transportation of matter.

In fiction, teleportation is often depicted as instantaneous travel between two locations without crossing the intervening space. However, in reality, teleportation would require the destruction of the original object being teleported, as the act of scanning disrupts the original such that the copy becomes the only surviving original.

In summary, teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. While there is no known physical mechanism that would allow for teleportation, quantum teleportation involves the transportation of information, rather than the transportation of matter.