Field Theoretical Description of Quantum Hall Edge Reconstruction

We propose a generalization of the chiral Luttinger liquid theory to allow for a unified description of quantum Hall edges with or without edge reconstruction. Within this description edge reconstruction is found to be a quantum phase transition in the universality class of a one-dimensional dilute Bose gas transition, whose critical behavior can be obtained exactly. At principal filling factors nu=1/m, we show the additional edge mode due to edge reconstruction modifies the point contact tunneling exponent in the low-energy limit, by a small and nonuniversal amount.