Melbourne, July 17 (ANI): Scientists in Hong Kong are developing a cloak of illusion, or a material that disguises one object as another.

“The metamaterial can turn the appearance of one object into that of another,” says Professor Che Ting Chan, a scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and coauthor of a paper that recently appeared in the journal Physical Review Letters.

“For example, it can make an apple look like an orange,” says Chan.

A metamaterial gets its special properties from its physical composition, which is opposed to most materials, which derive their properties from their chemical makeup, reports ABC Online.

The metamaterial the Hong Kong scientists propose would have several layers. Some layers would face inwards, and cancel the light coming from the object through a process called destructive interference. Other layers would face outward, reflecting incoming light in very specific patterns to make the object inside look like something else.

According to Chan, the surface on both inner and outer surfaces would be smooth, made of an alloy copper or aluminium and a dielectric.

“This is very intriguing because the theory points out a completely new approach of camouflage,” says Nicholas Fang, a researcher in Illinois who recently developed an acoustic metamaterial.

“Instead of making things completely transparent, the parts can be disguised under radars,” he added.

Chan says the material could be created in as little as two years. (ANI)