Trapping Dynamics Research Articles

Impact of bias stress and endurance switching on electrical characteristics of polycrystalline ZnO-TFTs with Al2O3 gate dielectric

Abstract This study experimentally investigates electrical characteristics and degradation phenomena in polycrystalline zinc oxide thin-film transistors (ZnO-TFTs). ZnO-TFTs with Al2O3 gate dielectric, Al-doped ZnO (AZO) source–drain contacts, and AZO gate electrode are fabricated using remote plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition at a maximum process temperature of 190 °C. We employ positive bias stress (PBS), negative bias stress (NBS), and endurance cycling measurements to evaluate the ZnO-TFT performance and examine carrier dynamics at the channel-dielectric interface and at grain boundaries in the polycrystalline channel. DC transfer measurements yield a threshold voltage of −5.95 V, a field-effect mobility of 53.5 cm2/(V∙s), a subthreshold swing of 136 mV dec−1, and an on-/off-current ratio above 109. PBS and NBS measurements, analysed using stretched-exponential fitting, reveal the dynamics of carrier trapping and de-trapping between the channel layer and the gate insulator. Carrier de-trapping time is 88 s under NBS at −15 V, compared to 1856 s trapping time under PBS at +15 V. Endurance tests across 109 cycles assess switching characteristics and temporal changes in ZnO-TFTs, focusing on threshold voltage and field-effect mobility. The threshold voltage shift observed during endurance cycling is similar to that of NBS due to the contrast in carrier trapping/de-trapping time. A measured mobility hysteresis of 19% between the forward and reverse measurement directions suggests grain boundary effects mediated by the applied gate bias. These findings underscore the electrical resilience of polycrystalline ZnO-TFTs and the aptitude for 3D heterogeneous integration applications.

Debt trap dynamics: The moderating role of convenience, financial literacy, and religiosity in credit card usage

In the modern age, the card payment business has flourished in Pakistan. Many multinational and national commercial banks have not only introduced debit cards but also many types of credit cards with distinct payment plans, and they are broadly used as financial instruments in consumer financing. The purpose of this research is to identify the distinctive components that cause credit card debt and how Pakistanis are snared into a debt trap by using credit cards. For this purpose, the study examines the effects of credit card usage (CCU), materialism (M), installment plan (IP), convenience (CONV), religiosity (R), and financial literacy (FL) on a dependent variable, debt trap (DT). Furthermore, the moderation impacts of R, FL, and CONV are tested too. The quantitative research approach and cross-sectional research design were applied. The data was collected from 297 credit card users by using a convenience sampling technique that shows a 79.2 % response rate. The Partial Least Square (PLS)-Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique was employed for data analysis. The Partial Least Square (PLS)-Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) direct effect has shown that CCU, M, IP, CONV, and R have a significant relationship with DT while FL has an insignificant relationship with the DP. In other words, the indirect effect has shown that FL is not significantly moderate in the relationship between R and DT. Likely, CONV does not significantly moderate the relationship between CCU and DP, however; other indirect effects show a significant moderated relationship of all other independent and dependent variables. Most of the moderating effects are supported, therefore the moderating effects are significant contributions. The study findings could help banks and regulatory bodies in launching these types of credit cards which are under shariah complaints about captivating the users to use the credit card without any fear. This research is a pioneer study in the context of the Pakistan banking sector along with three moderators, religiosity, financial literacy, and convenience. Based on the findings of this research, policymakers and financial institutions in Pakistan should consider introducing Shariah-compliant credit cards that align with users' religious beliefs, while promoting financial literacy programs to better educate consumers on responsible credit card usage and debt management, thus preventing them from falling into debt traps.

Single-Beam Acoustic Tweezers for Cell Biology: Molecular to In Vivo Level.

Acoustic tweezers have attracted attention in various fields of cell biology, including in vitro single-cell and intercellular mechanics. Compared with other tweezing technologies such as optical and magnetic tweezers, acoustic tweezers possess stronger forces and are safer for use in biological systems. However, due to the limited spatial resolution or limited size of target objects, acoustic tweezers have primarily been used to manipulate cells in vitro. To extend the advantages of acoustic tweezers to other levels (e.g., molecular and in vivo levels), researchers have recently developed various types of acoustic tweezers such as single-beam acoustic tweezers (SBATs), surface acoustic wave (SAW) tweezers, and acoustic-streaming tweezers. Among these, SBATs utilize a single-focused beam, making the transducer and system simple, noninvasive, and capable of producing strong forces compared with other types of tweezers. Depending on the acoustic beam pattern, SBATs can be classified into Rayleigh regime, Mie regime, and acoustic vortex with different trapping dynamics and application levels. In this review, we provide an overview of the principles and configuration of each type of SBAT, their applications ranging from molecular to in vivo studies, and their limitations and prospects. Thus, this review demonstrates the significance and potential of SBAT technology in biophysics and biomedical engineering.

CO2 trapping dynamics in tight sandstone: Insights into trapping mechanisms in Mae Moh's reservoir

The reliance on fossil fuels is a major contributor to increased anthropogenic CO2 emissions, driving global challenges such as climate change through the greenhouse effect. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a promising interdisciplinary technology aimed at mitigating these emissions by securely sequestering gigatons of CO2. This study focuses on the feasibility of storing point-source CO2 emissions in saline formations, with a particular emphasis on the Mae Moh coal-fired power plant in Lampang, Thailand, which is located near its associated coal mine. The region presents challenges due to tight sandstone reservoirs buried over 2000 m deep. With reservoir simulation, this study evaluates the impact of various factors on CO2 containment and trapping in these geological settings. Results show that elevated temperatures decrease structural trapping of 43.0%–28.9% and increase solubility trapping of 28.55%–46.5%, at 40 °C and 80 °C respectively. Hysteresis is found to enhance residual trapping by immobilizing up to 31.1% of CO2 within pore spaces at 0.5. Permeability heterogeneity has a minimal impact on overall trapping efficiency due to the less heterogeneity of the tight sandstone. However, the kV/kH ratio significantly influences vertical CO2 migration which resulted in residual trapping at its highest at the ratio of 0.1, while lower ratios support lateral dispersion. Moderate rock compressibility values are identified as optimal for structural and residual trapping, while extreme compressibility enhances solubility trapping by up to 30%. These findings emphasize the complexity of CO2 trapping mechanisms in tight sandstone formations, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of key factors in CCS projects.

Modeling the Coupled Charge Trapping Dynamics in FeFETs for Reliability Characterizations

Modeling the Coupled Charge Trapping Dynamics in FeFETs for Reliability Characterizations

A new experiment to enable rapid systematic investigations of flux trapping dynamics for superconducting radio-frequency cavity applications.

Many modern accelerators rely on superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities to accelerate particles. When these cavities are cooled to the superconducting state, a fraction of the ambient magnetic field (e.g., Earth's magnetic field) may be trapped in the superconductor. This trapped flux can significantly increase the power dissipation of the SRF cavities. It is, therefore, crucial to understand the underlying mechanism of how magnetic flux is trapped and what treatments and operating conditions can reduce the flux-trapping efficiency. A new experiment was designed that enables a systemic investigation of flux trapping. It allows for independent control of cooldown conditions, which might have an influence on flux trapping: temperature gradient across the superconductor during cooldown, cooldown rate, and ambient magnetic field. For exhaustive studies, the setup was designed for quick thermal cycling, permitting up to 300 superconducting transitions in one day. In this paper, the setup and operation is described in detail and an estimation of the measurement errors is given. Exemplary data are presented to illustrate the efficacy of the system.

Monitoring and Occurrence Prediction of the Migration Population of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) Based on Adult Semiochemical Attractants

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is a destructive agricultural pest. Facultative migration usually causes regional catastrophes; therefore, developing a simple and easy new technology for the monitoring and early warning of immigrant populations is urgent. Between 2021 and 2023, we conducted a population-monitoring study on H. armigera immigrants in Xundian County, Yunnan Province, where the migration pathway for pests from southeast Asia extends to southwest China. Based on the differences in the reproductive organ development parameters of H. armigera at different ages, we established an adult age discrimination model. The monitoring results of field populations with semiochemical attractants and sex pheromones between 2021 and 2023 showed that the daily average age of the adult population of H. armigera fluctuated above 6 days, and the trapping dynamics with semiochemical attractants and sex pheromones were the same. Both trapping methods yielded H. armigera males of different ages and had identical age structures, indicating that the H. armigera population primarily migrated from other regions. The trajectory analysis showed that the H. armigera population that migrated to Xundian between May and September was primarily from South Kunming, and after October, it was primarily the southward-migrating population north of Qujing City, Yunnan Province. Based on the relationship between the daily average fecundity and the age of H. armigera, a dynamic prediction model for the fecundity of the immigrant population was established. In this study, the prediction models and methods based on semiochemical attractants could potentially be used in the surveillance and population alerting of H. armigera.

Supersonic coaxial aerodynamic atomization dust removal technology

The high concentration of respirable dust pollution created during coal mining has long been known to be harmful to employee health. A water absorbing atomization device has certain advantages when spray trapping particle sizes of PM2.5–10. To further improve the PM0–2.5 trapping efficiency, supersonic coaxial pneumatic atomization dust removal technology has been developed. The effects of fog droplet characteristics on the instantaneous diffusion of dust were studied by numerical simulation and macro- and microexperiments for the first time, and the coupling characteristics of fog droplets and dust fields were obtained. The results show that with increasing aerodynamic pressure, the supersonic range extends along the axis toward the nozzle outlet, and the average velocity in the tube increases. Under different pressures, the droplet particle size in the supersonic coaxial atomizing nozzle is <6 μm and decreases with increasing aerodynamic pressure. When a droplet effuses from the nozzle, the transonic distribution of the flow field causes the droplet velocity to increase first and then decrease under the drag force. The droplet field characteristic distribution of supersonic coaxial atomization is determined by droplet evaporation, condensation, and migration. Under the same pressure, with increasing spray distance, the distribution of the droplet particle size increases in a stepwise manner, and the droplet velocity decreases according to an exponential function so that the droplet field produces a high-speed fine fog area. The range of droplets with higher velocities and smaller particle sizes is mainly influenced by migration and increases with increasing pressure. The coupling effect droplet field and dust field can be characterized by the instantaneous dispersion of dust and are determined by the distribution characteristics of the fog droplet field. The large range of high-speed fine fog produced by supersonic coaxial atomization technology easily traps respirable dust, and the classification efficiency of PM0–2.5 reaches 90%. In this study, a new dynamic microfog dust trapping technique was proposed, and a new method of instantaneous sampling combined with a microscopic dispersion test was adopted to characterize the temporal and spatial distributions of dust fields affected by fog droplet fields, reveal the generation of dynamic microfog and the mechanism of dust trapping, enrich the theory of fine dust trapping, and provide technical support for the safe production and utilization of coal.

Complete realization of energy landscapes and non-equilibrium trapping dynamics in small spin glass and optimization problems

Energy landscapes are high-dimensional surfaces underlie all physical systems, which determine crucially the energetic and behavioral dependence of the systems on variable configurations, but are difficult to be analyzed due to their high-dimensional nature. Here we introduce an approach to reveal for the complete energy landscapes of spin glasses and Boolean satisfiability problems with a small system size, and unravels their non-equilibrium dynamics at an arbitrary temperature for an arbitrarily long time. Remarkably, our results show that it can be less likely for the system to attain ground states when temperature decreases, due to trapping in individual local minima, which ceases at a different time, leading to multiple abrupt jumps in the ground-state probability. For large systems, we introduce a variant approach to extract partially the energy landscapes and observe both semi-analytically and in simulations similar phenomena. This work introduces new methodology to unravel the energy landscapes and non-equilibrium dynamics of glassy systems, and provides us with a clear, complete and new physical picture on their long-time behaviors inaccessible by existing approaches.

A pore-network modeling perspective on the dynamics of residual trapping in geological carbon storage

This study presents the application of an efficient and robust Dynamic Pore-Network Modeling (DPNM) framework for accurate prediction of carbon dioxide (CO2) trapping behavior under the dynamic flow conditions prevalent in subsurface applications. Residual trapping of CO2 is crucial in the context of geological sequestration, serving as a constitutive relationship that controls relative permeability hysteresis and thereby determining the magnitude of CO2 trapping within formations over varying timescales. Utilizing our DPNM framework, we study the complexities of residual trapping in miniature-core-sized digital replicate of a sandstone. We systematically conduct series of two-phase flow simulations to examine the relationships between total residual CO2 amount, trapping efficiency, and initial saturations across a spectrum of capillary numbers and wettability states. Dynamic simulation results lead to a simple power-law scaling equation correlating CO2 trapping efficiency with initial saturation across various capillary numbers. Further analysis explores the morphological and topological characteristics of fluids during primary drainage and various imbibition displacements within the pore network. This work contributes an essential tool and deepens our understanding of CO2 trapping dynamics, driving progress towards more effective and safer strategies for carbon capture and storage.

Experimentally validated modeling of dynamic drug-hERG channel interactions reproducing the binding mechanisms and its importance in action potential duration.

Background and ObjectiveAssessment of drug cardiotoxicity is critical in the development of new compounds and modeling of drug-binding dynamics to hERG can improve early cardiotoxicity assessment. We previously developed a methodology to generate Markovian models reproducing preferential state-dependent binding properties, trapping dynamics and the onset of IKr block using simple voltage clamp protocols. Here, we test this methodology with real IKr blockers and investigate the impact of drug dynamics on action potential prolongation. MethodsExperiments were performed on HEK cells stably transfected with hERG and using the Nanion SyncroPatch 384i. Three protocols, P-80, P0 and P 40, were applied to obtain the experimental data from the drugs and the Markovian models were generated using our pipeline. The corresponding static models were also generated and a modified version of the O´Hara-Rudy action potential model was used to simulate the action potential duration. ResultsThe experimental Hill plots and the onset of IKr block of ten compounds were obtained using our voltage clamp protocols and the models generated successfully mimicked these experimental data, unlike the CiPA dynamic models. Marked differences in APD prolongation were observed when drug effects were simulated using the dynamic models and the static models. ConclusionsThese new dynamic models of ten well-known IKr blockers constitute a validation of our methodology to model dynamic drug–hERG channel interactions and highlight the importance of state-dependent binding, trapping dynamics and the time-course of IKr block to assess drug effects even at the steady-state.

Mechanism for Local-Atomic Structure Changes in Chalcogenide-based Threshold-Switching Devices.

Threshold-switching devices based on amorphous chalcogenides are considered for use as selector devices in 3D crossbar memories. However, the fundamental understanding of amorphous chalcogenide is hindered owing to the complexity of the local structures and difficulties in the trap analysis of multinary compounds. Furthermore, after threshold switching, the local structures gradually evolve to more stable energy states owing to the unstable homopolar bonds. Herein, based on trap analysis, DFT simulations, and operando XPS analysis, it is determined that the threshold switching mechanism is deeply related to the charged state of Se-Se homopolar defects. A threshold switching device is demonstrated with an excellent performance through the modification of the local structure via the addition of alloying elements and investigating the time-dependent trap evolution. The results concerning the trap dynamics of local atomic structures in threshold switching phenomena may be used to improve the design of amorphous chalcogenides.

Steady-state relative permeability measurements in rough-walled fractures: The effects of wettability and aperture

Tight subsurface geosystems provide significant prospects for the recovery and storage of mass and energy. Because of the tightness of these systems, natural and engineered fractures are the main conveyance conduits transporting the fluids from the tight rock matrix to the wellbore or vice versa. During the fracturing process, most of the newly induced fractures are considered water-wet, however during injection/production, the wettability of the fractures gradually changes. These changes are mainly due to the interactions between the resident and injected fluids, or the exposure of the virgin fracture surfaces to the resident fluids during production. This alteration in wettability can affect the trapping and flow dynamics, e.g., relative permeability, of the fluids flowing in the fracture. Furthermore, fluid injection and production into and from these systems impact the fractures pore pressure and hence the effective stress they are exposed to, resulting in variations in the fracture aperture. In this study, we present a comprehensive macro-scale experimental investigation focusing on the impact of wettability and aperture on steady-state two-phase relative permeability in rough-walled fractures. Using the stead-state measurement technique, we meticulously characterized oil-brine relative permeabilities and residual trapping in water-wet, oil-wet, and mixed-wet rough-walled fractures induced in Eagle Ford shale rock samples. Additionally, we assessed the influence of fracture aperture size on these properties during both drainage and imbibition flow processes. Our results indicate significant phase interference in oil-brine flow in non-water-wet rough-walled fractures, which renders the commonly used x-curve and Corey models inadequate to represent the steady-state oil-brine relative permeabilities measured in our study, leading to substantial overestimations. Mixed-wet fractures exhibited reduced relative permeabilities compared to oil-wet fractures, which in turn demonstrated lower relative permeabilities than water-wet counterparts. The observed trends stem from evolving fluid configuration and transport dynamics within the fractures as surface wettability transitions. Furthermore, an increase in fracture aperture corresponded with an increase in relative permeability. This was attributed to a broader flow area, diminished capillarity, attenuated impact of fracture wall roughness and tortuosity effects, and a reduction in bypassing and trapping events, all synergistically contributing to the mitigation of phase interference. Similarly, an increase in fracture aperture led to a marked decrease in post-waterflooding endpoint oil saturation and post-oil flooding endpoint brine saturation. Finally, we provided generalized correlation models based on experimental results from fractures with varying conductivities and wettability, yielding a more accurate representation of fracture relative permeabilities compared to traditional models. The data and correlation models produced in this study improve our understanding and prediction of multiphase flow in subsurface fractures and offer insights into rapid production decline in unconventional shale reservoirs.

Behavior of helium diffusion sinks in apatite: Evidence from continuous ramped heating analysis of borehole and well-characterized samples

Diffusion sinks have been proposed to explain the complex high-temperature 4He release often seen in Continuous Ramped Heating (CRH) analysis of apatites, which often correlates with over-dispersed and anomalously old (U-Th)/He ages. In this work, we first conducted CRH experiments with various ramping rates and cycled CRH experiments that confirm that the high-temperature 4He release from diffusion sinks is systematically temperature sensitive at laboratory time scales. We then analyzed apatite grains from the KTB borehole (German Continental Deep Drilling program) that have well-constrained thermal histories to test whether different thermal histories could alter the trapping of 4He at geologic time scales. The KTB samples show large intra-sample single-grain age dispersion, with most ages being older than predictions from a 4He radiation-damage diffusion model RDAAM. Individual grains from shallower depths show complex 4He outgassing behaviors, including the expected low-temperature volume-diffusion loss, sudden release spikes, and a higher- temperature-dependent component. Grains from the current partial retention zone and greater depths retain considerable helium and exhibit exclusively complex outgassing behavior dominated by high-temperature release in the laboratory. KTB samples show a systematic difference with depth in the proportion of low- and high-temperature gas-release gas components. Deeper samples, having long open-system thermal histories, contain a greater proportion of 4He that appears to have been trapped compared to the simpler volume-diffusion behavior exhibited by shallower samples that experienced a simpler monotonic cooling history. While greatly reduced, the high-temperature component is still present in the highest-temperature samples analyzed, well hotter than the partial retention zone. These observations confirm that in apatite trapping and release of helium from sinks is temperature dependent at geological time scales as well. This supports the suggestion that additional thermal-history information from apatites might be obtained using 4He/3He analysis, with laboratory release of 3He providing information about trap distribution and kinetics and 4He providing information about the geologic thermal history.

Charge Trapping and Defect Dynamics as Origin of Memory Effects in Metal Halide Perovskite Memlumors.

Large language models for artificial intelligence applications require energy-efficient computing. Neuromorphic photonics has the potential to reach significantly lower energy consumption in comparison with classical electronics. A recently proposed memlumor device uses photoluminescence output that carries information about its excitation history via the excited state dynamics of the material. Solution-processed metal halide perovskites can be used as efficient memlumors. We show that trapping of photogenerated charge carriers modulated by photoinduced dynamics of the trapping states themselves explains the memory response of perovskite memlumors on time scales from nanoseconds to minutes. The memlumor concept shifts the paradigm of the detrimental role of charge traps and their dynamics in metal halide perovskite semiconductors by enabling new applications based on these trap states. The appropriate control of defect dynamics in perovskites allows these materials to enter the field of energy-efficient photonic neuromorphic computing, which we illustrate by proposing several possible realizations of such systems.

Enhanced trapping properties of coupled plasmonic tweezers via plasmon-exciton interaction.

Excited plasmonic nanoantennas enable the manipulation of photons coupled with quantum emitters or the trapping of particles as plasmonic tweezers, leveraging the strong evanescent gradient fields at the nanoscale. However, the ohmic loss of metals presents a significant challenge for the stable and high-precision manipulation of nanoparticles without causing damage. In this study, we investigated the enhanced trapping properties induced by plasmon-exciton interaction for coupled plasmonic tweezers. Through the coupling between plasmons and excitons, dynamic particle trapping is achievable under low excitation power conditions of 0.45 mW, with the trapping stiffness increasing by nearly 20 times. Furthermore, the trapping stiffness can be fine-tuned by modulating the quantity of excitons to regulate the coupling strength. Coupled plasmonic tweezers offer an effective strategy to mitigate the influence of ohmic loss on trapping performance, by manipulating particles with minimal laser power. These findings provide insights into enhancing trapping performance through plasmon-exciton coupling, with potential applications in biomedicine and quantum information science.

Extraction of Charge Trapping Kinetics of Defects From Single-Defect Measurements

Extraction of Charge Trapping Kinetics of Defects From Single-Defect Measurements

Influence of extensional strike-slip fault systems on hydrocarbon accumulation: case studies from Huanghekoudong and Miaoxi’nan sub-sags

Extensional strike-slip basins have unique structural features that influence both sub-sags and traps. Despite previous investigations into the extension-strike-slip fault system, there remains a gap in the comprehensive analysis of its influence on sub-sag formation and trap development. The Huanghekoudong and Miaoxi’nan sub-sags within the Bohai Bay Basin, intersected by the Tan-Lu Fault Zone, offer exemplary cases for examining the interplay between strike-slip and extensional tectonic regimes. The neotectonic strike-slip movements along the Tan-Lu Fault Zone have given rise to various extensional strike-slip overlap zones in these sub-sags, rendering these locales ideal for investigating the dynamics of strike-slip and extensional tectonic processes. Employing three-dimensional seismic data, well logs, and a newly constructed sequence stratigraphic framework, our research delineates the geometric and kinematic phenomena characteristic of the extensional strike-slip fault system, including the dynamics of extensional fault deformation and interaction through time. By scrutinizing the fault system’s vital role in shaping sub-sag evolution and trap genesis, we present a comprehensive model that significantly contributes to our understanding of structural trapping dynamics. This model not only fine-tunes existing trapping models but also offers invaluable insights for future exploration strategies within the Bohai Bay Basin and other similar extensional strike-slip basins worldwide. Our findings highlight the novel and significant implications of the extensional strike-slip fault system in controlling sub-sag and trap features, thus bridging a notable gap in existing geotechnical knowledge.

Understanding the Photoinduced Desorption and Oxidation of CO on Ru(0001) Using a Neural Network Potential Energy Surface.

The study of ultrafast photoinduced dynamics of adsorbates on metal surfaces requires thorough investigation of laser-excited electrons and, in many cases, the highly excited surface lattice. While ab initio molecular dynamics with electronic friction and thermostats (Te, Tl)-AIMDEF addresses such complex modeling, it imposes severe computational costs, hindering quantitative comparison with experimental desorption probabilities. In order to bypass this limitation, we utilize the embedded atom neural network method to construct a potential energy surface (PES) for the coadsorption of CO and O on Ru(0001). Our results demonstrate that this PES not only reproduces the short-time ab initio dynamics but is also able to yield statistically significant data for long lasting trajectories that correlate well with experimental findings. Furthermore, the analysis of the laser-induced dynamics reveals the existence of a dynamic trapping state that acts as a precursor for CO desorption, and it is not observed under thermal conditions. Altogether, our results validate the underlying theoretical framework, providing robust support for the description of not only the photoinduced desorption but also the oxidation of CO in terms of nonequilibrated but thermal hot electrons and phonons.

Enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting by a 3D hierarchical sea urchin-like structure: ZnO nanorod arrays on TiO2 hollow hemisphere

A hierarchical sea urchin-like hybrid metal oxide nanostructure of ZnO nanorods deposited on TiO2 porous hollow hemispheres with a thin zinc titanate interface layer is specifically designed and synthesized to form a combined type I straddling and type II staggered junctions. The HHSs, synthesized by electrospinning, facilitate light trapping and scattering. The ZnO nanorods offer a large surface area for improved surface oxidation kinetics. The interface layer of zinc titanate (ZnTiO3) between the TiO2 HHSs and ZnO nanorods regulates the charge separation in a closely coupled hierarchy structure of ZnO/ZnTiO3/TiO2. The synergistic effects of the improved light trapping, charge separation, and fast surface reaction kinetics result in a superior photoconversion efficiency of 1.07% for the photoelectrochemical water splitting with an outstanding photocurrent density of 2.8 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus RHE.