Cryptographic Security in the Quantum Era: QKD, Post-Quantum Cryptography, and Key Management

The rapid progress of quantum technologies is reshaping the foundations of secure communication. On one hand, quantum cryptography leverages core principles of quantum mechanics - such as measurement disturbance and the no-cloning theorem - to enable security primitives like quantum key distribution (QKD). On the other hand, the anticipated availability of large-scale quantum computers threatens widely deployed public-key cryptosystems, driving urgent development and deployment of post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

While QKD offers information-theoretic security for key exchange under well-defined assumptions, and PQC provides quantum-resistant alternatives for classical infrastructures, both approaches face practical challenges: implementation security, parameter selection, performance overhead, large key sizes, and - critically - the generation and management of high-entropy cryptographic key material. Bridging theoretical guarantees with deployable systems remains an open and fast-moving area.

This Research Topic aims to advance cryptographic security in the quantum era by bringing together research on (i) quantum cryptographic protocols and quantum-secure communication, and (ii) post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, key generation, and optimization strategies that enable scalable, robust, real-world deployment. We welcome contributions that strengthen security against both classical and quantum adversaries and that clarify security–performance trade-offs in modern systems.

Scope (including but not limited to)

o Quantum cryptography and QKD protocols, architectures, and implementation security
o Security in quantum communication networks, including adversarial models and trust assumptions
o Design, analysis, and implementation of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms (KEMs, signatures, hybrid schemes)
o Key generation and key management: entropy, randomness extraction, bias detection, secure key storage and lifecycle
o Parameter selection, key-size reduction, and computational optimization for PQC and quantum-secure systems
o Formal methods, proof frameworks, security reductions, and robustness under evolving threat models
o Side-channel resistance and implementation-hardening for both QKD systems and PQC implementations
o Deployment and migration: interoperability, benchmarking, integration into existing protocols and infrastructures

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: quantum-safe cryptography, quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum communication networks, post-quantum cryptography (PQC), key encapsulation mechanisms (KEMs), hybrid cryptographic schemes, key management, randomness extraction, side-channel resistance

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.