With the emergence of quantum computers, classical cryptography is facing significant challenges. Address this compelling problem, it is the need of hour to develop Post Quantum cryptography (PQC), or quantum-resistant cryptography. PQC is a rapidly evolving field in computer science. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) posted a call for inviting new generation of PQC algorithms. This paper aims to explore the significance and relevance of PQC in the future. Performing bibliometric analysis is important for gathering the necessary information about this discipline. Performance analysis and science mapping are done to extract valuable insights from the dataset. The dataset includes 14,230 records extracted from the Scopus database. The analysis is done using qualitative as well as quantitative approaches. The quantity approach focuses on the number of publications and document type analysis of the publications, while the quality approach includes the citation analysis of research publications. Bibliographic coupling is also carried out to understand the relationship in a visualisation format between authors, documents, sources, and countries. After performing the analysis, it has been observed that China has made the most significant contribution to the field of PQC. Additionally, the most highly cited author identified is Nicolas Gisin from the University of Geneva. This study provides valuable insights into prominent keywords, emerging trends and key research areas within the PQC domain, offering a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape.
With the emergence of quantum computers, classical cryptography is facing significant challenges. Address this compelling problem, it is the need of hour to develop Post Quantum cryptography (PQC), or quantum-resistant cryptography. PQC is a rapidly evolving field in computer science. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) posted a call for inviting new generation of PQC algorithms. This paper aims to explore the significance and relevance of PQC in the future. Performing bibliometric analysis is important for gathering the necessary information about this discipline. Performance analysis and science mapping are done to extract valuable insights from the dataset. The dataset includes 14,230 records extracted from the Scopus database. The analysis is done using qualitative as well as quantitative approaches. The quantity approach focuses on the number of publications and document type analysis of the publications, while the quality approach includes the citation analysis of research publications. Bibliographic coupling is also carried out to understand the relationship in a visualisation format between authors, documents, sources, and countries. After performing the analysis, it has been observed that China has made the most significant contribution to the field of PQC. Additionally, the most highly cited author identified is Nicolas Gisin from the University of Geneva. This study provides valuable insights into prominent keywords, emerging trends and key research areas within the PQC domain, offering a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape.
Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is under development to guard against the threats of quantum computers by implementing a new class of cryptosystems. In this direction, much work has been done since 2006, which has led to many publications. Hence, this study presents an overview of PQC research through scientometric analysis of the data containing 1611 publications published from 2006 to 2023, retrieved from the Scopus database. The analysis identifies growth, trends, leading countries, and significant publications, providing insights into impactful PQC research. It also demonstrates a significant rise in publications after 2015, and the United States is a highly productive country. Furthermore, this study also discusses the managerial view, which can assist technology managers in understanding its impact on global and local markets. The findings of this analysis can be a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders interested in the future of cryptography and other potential impacts of quantum computing.
Quantum computing provides the pathway to dismantle the security provided by cryptography especially classical public-key systems due to the emergence of Shor’s algorithm. This emerging threat necessitates the development of new security paradigms that are quantum-resistant. Consequently, two new approaches have emerged as prominent solutions, namely Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which relies on quantum mechanical principles for security, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), which relies on classical cryptography for quantum resistance. This paper presents an extensive analysis of the global research trends in quantum cryptography and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms by incorporating the use of both bibliometric analysis and comparative analysis. The paper relies on a dataset collected from the Web of Science database from 2010 to 2025. The findings of the paper demonstrate an increase in scientific production in the field of quantum cryptography, with post-quantum cryptography emerging as a new dominant area coinciding with standardization by NIST, whereas quantum key distribution continues to evolve with new developments in quantum communication.
As quantum computing progresses, longstanding security assumptions that form the foundations of today's digital infrastructure are being undermined, and new cryptographic mechanisms are needed that can resist attacks from a quantum computer. In this study, the bibliometric analysis of 1346 Web of Science Core Collection documents from 2015 to 2026 have been used to map the development, intellectual structure and emerging cybersecurity applications of post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer were used to perform performance analysis and science mapping, including annual production, citation dynamics, author productivity, institutional and country contributions, source concentration, keyword co-occurrence, thematic positioning, and topic evolution. The results indicate that research has accelerated quickly, from less than 10 publications per year in 2015-2016 to 456 in 2025, and that 2026 is a partial indexing year. Citation influence is dominated by China and the United States, and the most visible affiliations include the Chinese Academy of Sciences, State University System of Florida, and Florida Atlantic University. IEEE Access is the leading publication outlet. Keyword and thematic analyses show that the field has moved from foundational cryptanalysis and mathematical constructions toward lattice-based cryptography, hardware acceleration, NIST standardization, CRYSTALS-Kyber/ML-KEM, authentication, blockchain, Internet of Things, and migration-oriented cybersecurity. The study further identifies a post-standardization shift from algorithm competition to implementation assurance, crypto-agility, interoperability, side-channel resilience, and sector-specific deployment. These findings provide an updated evidence base for researchers, cybersecurity practitioners, standards bodies, and organizations planning quantum-safe migration.
The advent of quantum computing poses a significant threat to current cryptographic systems, particularly public-key algorithms such as RSA and ECC, which are vulnerable to quantum attacks like Shor's algorithm. Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) aims to develop and standardize quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms to secure digital communications in the quantum era. This paper examines the current landscape of PQC, focusing on the evaluation and standardization efforts led by organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). We analyze the major families of quantum-resistant algorithms, including lattice-based, hash-based, code-based, multivariate, and isogeny-based cryptography, discussing their security guarantees, performance trade-offs, and implementation challenges. Furthermore, we review NIST's PQC standardization process, highlighting selected finalists and alternate candidates, and explore the ongoing transition challenges in adopting these algorithms across industries. Finally, we discuss future directions for PQC research, including hybrid cryptographic systems and the need for continued cryptanalysis to ensure long-term security. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the progress and challenges in deploying quantum-resistant cryptography to safeguard against emerging quantum threats.
The accelerated pace of development in the Field of Quantum Computing is very alarming for many of the presently used cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and ECC underlying much of security in the modern world. This is an indication that the need for development of quantum-resistant algorithms especially for security in data integrity and communication in the environment driven by quantum computers, commonly referred to as Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). For addressing this, the Research presents a scientometric lenses on PQC to provide a systematic review of its related research terrain, thematic trends and key contributors for directionality purposes. In the scientific aspect, the work uses new-generation scientometric techniques, including co-words, thematic maps, and network diagrams based on 2874 articles sourced from the WoS and SCOPUS databases, which were systematically evaluated using the PRISMA protocol in R Studio. Such an approach could help disentangle the publication profiles, collaborative structures, and emergent institutionalization of PQC research. Identified insights demonstrate that the growth pattern of PQC has become steeper, with the number of annual publications reaching 623 in 2023, where Florida Atlantic University and Tsinghua University are also the most active institutions. Despite this progress, major research gaps persist, particularly in scaling PQC algorithms, cross-platform adaptability, and testing in real-world settings, which are essential for applications in constrained environments like IoT networks. Thus, this study sets a foundation of reference on PQC research and presents noble advice to scholars, legislators, and entrepreneurs. These findings make the case for constant development and reliable procedures to safeguard computational assets from new forms of attack posed by quantum computing and, in doing so, point to an exciting future in the post-quantum world.
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) is a rapidly developing field that addresses the potential threat quantum computers pose to the security of current cryptographic algorithms. With the rapid advancement of quantum computing technologies, it has become imperative to identify and standardize new cryptographic techniques that can withstand attacks from quantum computers. This paper explores the motivation behind PQC and provides an overview of the experimental research conducted in the field. It highlights the vulnerabilities of traditional cryptographic algorithms, such as RSA and ECC, to quantum attacks and emphasizes the need for transitioning to quantum-resistant alternatives. The experiments conducted in the PQC domain encompass the evaluation and analysis of candidate algorithms submitted to the NIST PQC competition. These experiments involve comprehensive security assessments, performance evaluations, and code audits to ensure the suitability and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms in real-world scenarios. This paper provides guidelines for organizations and practitioners adopting PQC. It discusses considerations for selecting and implementing post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, including security levels, algorithmic characteristics, performance tradeoffs, and integration challenges. It also outlines the importance of a smooth transition from classical to post-quantum cryptographic systems and highlights the need for standardization efforts to ensure interoperability and compatibility.