  It was recently shown that a spatially modulated Rashba spin-orbit coupling
in a quantum wire drives a transition from a metallic to an insulating state
when the wave number of the modulation becomes commensurate with the Fermi wave
length of the electrons in the wire. It was suggested that the effect may be
put to practical use in a future spin transistor design. In the present article
we revisit the problem and present a detailed analysis of the underlying
physics. First, we explore how the build-up of charge density wave correlations
in the quantum wire due to the periodic gate configuration that produces the
Rashba modulation influences the transition to the insulating state. The
interplay between the modulations of the charge density and that of the
spin-orbit coupling turns out to be quite subtle: Depending on the relative
phase between the two modulations, the joint action of the Rashba interaction
and charge density wave correlations may either enhance or reduce the Rashba
current blockade effect. Secondly, we inquire about the role of the Dresselhaus
spin-orbit coupling that is generically present in a quantum wire embedded in
semiconductor heterostructure. While the Dresselhaus coupling is found to work
against the current blockade of the insulating state, the effect is small in
most materials. Using an effective field theory approach, we also carry out an
analysis of effects from electron- electron interactions, and show how the
single-particle gap in the insulating state can be extracted from the more
easily accessible collective charge and spin excitation thresholds. The
smallness of the single-particle gap together with the anti-phase relation
between the Rashba and chemical potential modulations pose serious difficulties
for realizing a Rashba-controlled current switch in an InAs-based device. Some
alternative designs are discussed.
