Recent Accounting Pronouncements - Disaggregation of Revenue (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Revenues	$ 11,090,000	$ 10,542,000	$ 32,650,000	$ 29,985,000
Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	11,090,000		32,650,000
Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	11,090,000		32,650,000
Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	11,090,000		32,650,000
Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	11,090,000		32,650,000
Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	11,090,000		32,650,000
Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	5,899,000		17,846,000
Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	5,899,000		17,846,000
Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	5,899,000		17,846,000
Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,899,000		17,846,000
Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,899,000		17,846,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	5,191,000		14,804,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	5,191,000		14,804,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	5,191,000		14,804,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,191,000		14,804,000
Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,191,000		14,804,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,729,000		16,236,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	712,000		1,780,000
Goods/services transferred over time [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,017,000		14,456,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,361,000		16,414,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Optics [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	5,187,000		16,066,000
Goods transferred at a point in time [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Timing of Recognition [Member]
Revenues	174,000		348,000
Optical components [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,850,000		17,682,000
Optical components [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,850,000		17,682,000
Optical components [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	0		0
Contract research [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,009,000		14,430,000
Contract research [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	0		0
Contract research [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	5,009,000		14,430,000
Other products and services [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	231,000		538,000
Other products and services [Member] | Optics [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	49,000		164,000
Other products and services [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Products/Services [Member]
Revenues	182,000		374,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	4,909,000		14,128,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	53,000		56,000
U.S. government revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	4,856,000		14,072,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	3,759,000		10,773,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	3,634,000		10,511,000
U.S. commercial revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	125,000		262,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	2,422,000		7,749,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Optics [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	2,212,000		7,279,000
Foreign commercial and other revenue [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Major Customer Type [Member]
Revenues	210,000		470,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	6,399,000		19,509,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Optics [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	5,899,000		17,846,000
Firm-fixed price [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	500,000		1,663,000
Non-Firm Fixed price [Member] | Contract Type [Member]
Revenues	4,691,000		13,141,000
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	4,691,000		13,141,000
United States [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	8,669,000		24,901,000
United States [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	3,688,000		10,567,000
United States [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	4,981,000		14,334,000
Asia [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	667,000		2,462,000
Asia [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	667,000		2,440,000
Asia [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	0		22,000
Europe [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	1,468,000		4,705,000
Europe [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	1,422,000		4,608,000
Europe [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	46,000		97,000
Other [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	286,000		582,000
Other [Member] | Optics [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	122,000		231,000
Other [Member] | Innovation and Development [Member] | Geographic Location [Member]
Revenues	$ 164,000		$ 351,000