Bosonization theory for tunneling spectra in smooth edges of quantum Hall systems

We calculate the spectral function of a smooth edge of a quantum Hall system in the lowest Landau level by means of a bosonization technique. We obtain a general relationship between the one electron spectral function and the dynamical structure factor. The resulting I-V characteristics exhibit, at low voltage and temperature, power law scaling, generally different from the one predicted by the chiral Luttinger liquid theory, and in good agreement with recent experimental results. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.