  We describe the low-frequency current fluctuations, i.e. electronic noise, in
quasi-one-dimensional ZrTe3 van der Waals nanoribbons, which have recently
attracted attention owing to their extraordinary high current carrying
capacity. Whereas the low-frequency noise spectral density reveals 1/f behavior
near room temperature, it is dominated by the Lorentzian bulges of the
generation - recombination noise at low temperatures (f is the frequency).
Unexpectedly, the corner frequency of the observed Lorentzian peaks shows
strong sensitivity to the applied source - drain bias. This dependence on
electric field can be explained by the Frenkel-Poole effect in the scenario
where the voltage drop happens predominantly on the defects, which block the
quasi-1D conduction channels. We also have found that the activation energy of
the characteristic frequencies of the G-R noise in quasi-1D ZrTe3 is defined
primarily by the temperature dependence of the capture cross-section of the
defects rather than by their energy position. These results are important for
the application of quasi-1D van der Waals materials in ultimately downscaled
electronics.
