Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Details 2) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenues	$ 10,028,000	$ 9,189,000
Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	10,028,000
Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	10,028,000
Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	10,028,000
Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	10,028,000
Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	10,028,000
Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	5,721,000
Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	5,721,000
Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	5,721,000
Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,721,000
Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,721,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	4,307,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	4,307,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	4,307,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	4,307,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	4,307,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	4,759,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	560,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	4,199,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,269,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,161,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	108,000
Optical components [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,639,000
Optical components [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,639,000
Optical components [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	0
Contract research [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	4,199,000
Contract research [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	0
Contract research [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	4,199,000
Other products and services [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	190,000
Other products and services [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	82,000
Other products and services [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	108,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	4,184,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	3,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	4,181,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	3,276,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	3,272,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	4,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	2,568,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	2,446,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	122,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	6,279,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	5,721,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	558,000
Non-Firm Fixed price [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	3,749,000
Non-Firm Fixed price [Member] | Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	0
Non-Firm Fixed price [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	3,749,000
United States [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	7,460,000
United States [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	3,275,000
United States [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	4,185,000
Asia [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	930,000
Asia [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	915,000
Asia [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	15,000
Europe [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	1,524,000
Europe [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	1,485,000
Europe [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	39,000
Other [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	114,000
Other [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	46,000
Other [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	$ 68,000