The fundamental 1/f noise and the Hooge parameter in semiconductor quantum wires

We have calculated the Hooge parameter /spl alpha//sub H/ characterizing fundamental 1/f noise in a free-standing intrinsic silicon quantum wire using microscopic noise theory. Our model takes into account quasi-one-dimensional confinement of both phonons and electrons. We find that at low temperatures, /spl alpha//sub H/ can be reduced significantly by an external magnetic field which suppresses large-angle electron scattering. This allows one to quench 1/f noise. Furthermore, a magnetic field provides a convenient tool to probe the source of noise in quantum wires, and, to a certain degree, test the validity of the microscopic mobility-fluctuation quantum noise model itself.