Can a reverse-biased diode junction generate shot noise?

Yes, a reverse-biased diode junction can generate shot noise, albeit typically to a lesser extent than in forward bias. Shot noise arises from the discrete nature of charge carriers, and in a reverse-biased condition, the noise is mainly due to the leakage current across the junction. This leakage current results from thermally generated minority carriers, leading to fluctuations in the current that manifest as shot noise. However, the magnitude of this noise is generally much lower than that observed in forward-biased operation.