  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.
