  Chemical reactions typically proceed via stochastic encounters between
reactants. Going beyond this paradigm, we combine exactly two atoms into a
single, controlled reaction. The experimental apparatus traps two individual
laser-cooled atoms (one sodium and one cesium) in separate optical tweezers and
then merges them into one optical dipole trap. Subsequently, photoassociation
forms an excited-state NaCs molecule. The discovery of previously unseen
resonances near the molecular dissociation threshold and measurement of
collision rates are enabled by the tightly trapped ultracold sample of atoms.
As laser-cooling and trapping capabilities are extended to more elements, the
technique will enable the study of more diverse, and eventually more complex,
molecules in an isolated environment, as well as synthesis of designer
molecules for qubits.
