  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.
