Effect of electron-phonon interaction on the binding energy of a wannier exciton in a polarizable medium

A new phenomenological effective interaction potential between an electron and a hole of a Wannier exciton in a polarizable medium is proposed. Binding energies of Wannier excitons are calculated variationally using this potential in several polar crystals. A close agreement between the theoretical values thus calculated and the experimental values is found in all polar crystals including thallium halides.