1/f Noise in Electron Glasses

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We show that 1/f noise is produced in a 3D electron glass by charge fluctuations due to electrons hopping between isolated sites and a percolating network at low temperatures. The low frequency noise spectrum goes as ω⁻α with αslightly larger than 1. This result together with the temperature dependence of αand the noise amplitude are in good agreement with the recent experiments. These results hold true both with a flat, noninteracting density of states and with a density of states that includes Coulomb interactions. In the latter case, the density of states has a Coulomb gap that fills in with increasing temperature. For a large Coulomb gap width, this density of states gives a dc conductivity with a hopping exponent of approximately 0.75 which has been observed in recent experiments. For a small Coulomb gap width, the hopping exponent approximately 0.5.