The influence of absorption on the spectra of microwave graphs has been studied experimentally. The microwave networks were made up of coaxial cables and T junctions. First, absorption was introduced by attaching a 50 Ohm load to an additional vertex
for graphs with and without time-reversal symmetry. The resulting level-spacing distributions were compared with a generalization of the Wigner surmise in the presence of open channels proposed recently by Poli et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 174101 (2012)]. Good agreement was found using an effective coupling parameter. Second, absorption was introduced along one individual bond via a variable microwave attenuator, and the influence of absorption on the length spectrum was studied. The peak heights in the length spectra corresponding to orbits avoiding the absorber were found to be independent of the attenuation, whereas, the heights of the peaks belonging to orbits passing the absorber once or twice showed the expected decrease with increasing attenuation.
A realisation of a periodically driven microwave system is presented. The principal element of the scheme is a variable capacity, i.e. a varicap, introduced as an element of the resonant circuit. Sideband structures corresponding to different driving
signals, have been measured experimentally. In the linear regime we observed sideband structures with specific shapes. The main peculiarities of these shapes can be explained within a semiclassical approximation. A good agreement between experimental data and theoretical expectations has been found.
