Note B - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value, Ending Balance	$ 59,977	$ 55,646
Cash, Uninsured Amount	$ 51,300
Number of Patents Issued	291
Asset Impairment Charges, Total	$ 0	0
Product Warranty Accrual, Current	821	995
Advertising Expense	$ 500	$ 500	$ 300
Minimum [Member]
Product Warranty Extension Period	3 years
Maximum [Member]
Product Warranty Extension Period	5 years
Patents [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	10 years
Patents [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life	20 years
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Revenue Benchmark [Member]
Number of Customers	5	5	5
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Revenue Benchmark [Member] \| Five Customers [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	80.70%	85.70%	86.10%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Revenue Benchmark [Member] \| Microsoft [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	32.20%	22.10%	13.80%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Revenue Benchmark [Member] \| Amazon [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	24.00%	12.10%	35.40%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Revenue Benchmark [Member] \| Facebook [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	10.90%	38.30%	28.60%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Revenue Benchmark [Member] \| Cisco [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	10.00%	9.90%	4.80%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member]
Number of Customers	5	5
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member] \| Five Customers [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	82.00%	70.20%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member] \| Microsoft [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	33.00%	23.20%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member] \| Amazon [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage		18.70%
Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Accounts Receivable [Member] \| Facebook [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage		12.60%
Non-US [Member]
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value, Ending Balance	$ 15,100	$ 8,000

The number of customers.

No definition available.

Name:	aaoi_NumberOfCustomers
Namespace Prefix:	aaoi_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of patents issued.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aaoi_NumberOfPatentsIssued
Namespace Prefix:	aaoi_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The period of product warranty extension.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aaoi_ProductWarrantyExtensionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	aaoi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 720
-SubTopic 35
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420018&loc=d3e36677-107848

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of write-down of assets recognized in the income statement. Includes, but is not limited to, losses from tangible assets, intangible assets and goodwill.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3602-108585

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109226348&loc=d3e2420-110228

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118932676&loc=d3e3044-108585

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118951113&loc=d3e6676-107765

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of cash as of the balance sheet date that is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashUninsuredAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6351-108592

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118260190&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118260190&loc=d3e13537-108611

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6404-108592

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Useful life of finite-lived intangible assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable for estimated claims under standard and extended warranty protection rights granted to customers. For classified balance sheets, represents the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68068213&loc=d3e12524-110249

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68070138&loc=d3e11281-110244

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrualClassifiedCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_PatentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_SalesRevenueNetMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=aaoi_FiveCustomersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=aaoi_MicrosoftMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=aaoi_AmazonMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=aaoi_FacebookMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=aaoi_CiscoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_AccountsReceivableMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=us-gaap_NonUsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: