We revisit the problem of the plateau transition in the integer quantum Hall
effect. Here we develop an analytical approach for this transition, based on
the theory of conformal restriction. This is a mathematical theory that was
recently developed within the context of the Schramm-Loewner evolution which
describes the stochastic geometry of fractal curves and other stochastic
geometrical fractal objects in 2D space. Observables elucidating the connection
with the plateau transition include the so-called point-contact conductances
(PCCs) between points on the boundary of the sample, described within the
language of the Chalker-Coddington network model. We show that the
disorder-averaged PCCs are characterized by classical probabilities for certain
geometric objects in the plane (pictures), occurring with positive statistical
weights, that satisfy the crucial restriction property with respect to changes
in the shape of the sample with absorbing boundaries. Upon combining this
restriction property with the expected conformal invariance at the transition
point, we employ the mathematical theory of conformal restriction measures to
relate the disorder-averaged PCCs to correlation functions of primary operators
in a conformal field theory (of central charge c=0). We show how this can be
used to calculate these functions in a number of geometries with various
boundary conditions. Since our results employ only the conformal restriction
property, they are equally applicable to a number of other critical disordered
electronic systems in 2D. For most of these systems, we also predict exact
values of critical exponents related to the spatial behavior of various
disorder-averaged PCCs.Comment: Published versio