Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Details 2) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Revenues	$ 11,532,000	$ 10,255,000	$ 21,560,000	$ 19,443,000
Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	11,532,000		21,560,000
Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	11,532,000		21,560,000
Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	11,532,000		21,560,000
Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	11,532,000		21,560,000
Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	11,532,000		21,560,000
Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	6,226,000		11,947,000
Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	6,226,000		11,947,000
Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	6,226,000		11,947,000
Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	6,226,000		11,947,000
Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	6,226,000		11,947,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	5,306,000		9,613,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	5,306,000		9,613,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	5,306,000		9,613,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,306,000		9,613,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,306,000		9,613,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,731,000		10,489,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	508,000		1,068,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,223,000		9,421,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,801,000		11,071,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,718,000		10,879,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	83,000		192,000
Optical components [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	6,194,000		11,833,000
Optical components [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	6,194,000		11,833,000
Optical components [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	0		0
Contract research [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,223,000		9,421,000
Contract research [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	0		0
Contract research [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,223,000		9,421,000
Other products and services [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	115,000		306,000
Other products and services [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	32,000		114,000
Other products and services [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	83,000		192,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	5,035,000		9,219,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	0		3,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	5,035,000		9,216,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	3,737,000		7,014,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	3,605,000		6,877,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	132,000		137,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	2,760,000		5,327,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	2,621,000		5,067,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	139,000		260,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	6,831,000		13,110,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	6,226,000		11,947,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	605,000		1,163,000
Non-Firm Fixed price [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	4,701,000		8,450,000
Non-Firm Fixed price [Member] | Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	0		0
Non-Firm Fixed price [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	4,701,000		8,450,000
United States [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	8,773,000		16,233,000
United States [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	3,605,000		6,880,000
United States [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	5,168,000		9,353,000
Asia [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	865,000		1,795,000
Asia [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	858,000		1,773,000
Asia [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	7,000		22,000
Europe [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	1,713,000		3,237,000
Europe [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	1,701,000		3,186,000
Europe [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	12,000		51,000
Other [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	181,000		295,000
Other [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	62,000		108,000
Other [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	$ 119,000		$ 187,000