Analyzing the research impact in post quantum cryptography through scientometric evaluation

Abstract

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.

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