Which is because the output laser array energy (which is an impressive piece of technology by itself) can not be increased too much anymore. So that everyone could assume, that the whole increase of fusion yield was done without contribution of lasers. But the energy which one can put into magnetic pulse and pinch can be increased nearly arbitrarily and it can easily exceed the amount of energy delivered by lasers by order of magnitude. This is because the laser array has rather low net energy efficiency, whereas the powering of solenoid required just a capacitor bank, the size of which can be increased arbitrarily. And one megajoule shot from capacitor bank is nothing spectacular here, for instance the Z-machine delivers 20 MJ into shots regularly.
(1) What evidence do you have that laser array output energy over the 10ps or so time needed cannot be increased?
(2) Regardless - ICF now has COP=2.5. better than current DPF approaches, so given there is significant fusion the question is how to optimise it, and make the laser drive more efficient, not higher energy.
(3) DPFs are interesting, but have been in dev for a long time (see my post on other thread). Very large Z pinches still deliver low fusion energy - but have very high input energy. The issue is can you get fusion energy out larger than energy in, and is this practical? It looks tough with DPFs - see the LPP struggles.
(4) Laser tech has developed a lot from when NIF was built and 20% efficiency high PRR is now possible (as opposed to 1% NIF 1/day PRR).
Basically, the issue is not "how to get more energy in" but "how to get more energy coupled into compressing a useful plasma". Useful is a combination or temperature, density, and stability. All these parameters are completely different for ICF and DPF fusion so you need to look at how far are result from what can be useful - not "which has highest energy input". You can consider scaling but DPFs have scaling problems relating to whether you can keep the plasma symmetric as it is compressed and with electrode erosion issues that lead to anisotropy.
Looking at pulsed laser nuclear fusion - Nuclear Engineering International
https://lppfusion.com/storage/2022/04/LPPFusion-Report-Oct.15-2021.pdf
THH