So the laser energy that went into the reaction in the form of light is less than what came out of the reaction. However, the energy needed to produce that lase

So the laser energy that went into the reaction in the form of light is less than what came out of the reaction. However, the energy needed to produce that laser energy may be orders of magnitude more depending on the laser. AKA: the Wall Plug Efficiency. Tabletop rigs can be as efficient as 50%, however high power such as we see here tends to come with drastically reduced efficiency.