In one aspect, a method of manufacturing a magnetoresistance (MR) element having layers include ramping up a temperature of a reference layer of the MR element to an annealing temperature of the reference layer by increasing an amplitude of laser pulses applied to the reference layer over time to an amplitude that corresponds to the annealing temperature of the reference layer; applying a magnetic field to the reference layer; and maintaining the amplitude of subsequent laser pulses over time that have the amplitude that corresponds to the annealing temperature of the reference layer until at least the reference layer is annealed.