Ytterbium ion is the first element to be teleported over a distance. Ytterbium ions have been 'teleported' over a distance of a metre.MM_photo / Alamy Researchers have teleported a single ion of the element ytterbium over a metre in distance, shattering previous records. Photons have gone further but teleportation of matter has only occurred between ions in the same trap over a few micrometers.Although still highly inefficient, their technique provides an important proof-of-principle for long-distance quantum teleportation and brings the era of quantum communication closer to reality. The work appears in the journal Science1.The spandexed crew of Star Trek has...