Spectral Gaps of Spin-orbit Coupled Particles in Deformed Traps
  We consider a spin-orbit coupled system of particles in an external trap that is represented by a deformed harmonic oscillator potential. The spin-orbit interaction is a Rashba interaction that does not commute with the trapping potential and requires a full numerical treatment in order to obtain the spectrum. The effect of a Zeeman term is also considered. Our results demonstrate that variable spectral gaps occur as a function of strength of the Rashba interaction and deformation of the harmonic trapping potential. The single-particle density of states and the critical strength for superfluidity vary tremendously with the interaction parameter. The strong variations with Rashba coupling and deformation implies that the few- and many-body physics of spin-orbit coupled systems can be manipulated by variation of these parameters. 
O. V. Marchukov and A. G. Volosniev and D. V. Fedorov and A. S. Jensen   and N. T. Zinner
cond-mat.quant-gas cond-mat.mes-hall quant-ph