Connected Slot Array With Interchangeable ADL Radome for Sub-8 GHz 5G Applications

We present a dual-polarized connected array of slots with an artificial dielectric layer (ADL) radome for mobile communication applications operating in the sub-6 GHz and the upper 6 GHz bands of 5G. The radiating slots are combined with two interchangeable ADL radomes with different thicknesses, targeting the bands 6–8 and 2–8 GHz, respectively. This highlights the main property of the ADL radome, which realizes an impedance transformer whose bandwidth is proportional to the height of the structure. Moreover, the ADL anisotropy allows for wide scanning, up to 60° in the main planes for both radomes, without scan blindness. An
$8\,\, \times \,\, 8$
prototype array has been manufactured and tested with the two ADL radomes. The measured results of the active voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) and the radiation patterns are reported to validate the design.